The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition carries on.
On Day 6 of their training camp, Joe Flacco completed eight of 11 passes in 11-on-11 drills with no touchdowns or picks. Dillion Gabriel completed 10 of 16 passes with no touchdowns and one pick. Shedeur Sanders completed seven of 10 passes with no touchdowns or picks.
Kenny Pickett is out with a hamstring injury he suffered at the end of practice this past Saturday.
Joe Flacco Got the Bulk of First-Team Reps on Tuesday
Pickett’s injury did nothing to move the needle on Sanders’s getting more chances with the first team. Flacco got the bulk of the first-team reps, while Gabriel had three first-team reps and most of the second-team reps. Sanders got one second-team rep and did the rest of his work with the third team.
Day 6 of Browns training camp is a wrap. This is how all 3 QBs performed in team drills today.
Gabriel and Sanders failed to score a TD in 30 second drill from the 40. pic.twitter.com/2CoUDp70Im
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 29, 2025
With Pickett sidelined, Flacco is the likely front-runner to be the Browns’ starter in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Browns in 2023 after leading them to a surprise playoff berth.
He played with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, where he went 2-4 in six starts, throwing for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He returned to the Browns for the 2025 season on a one-year, $4 million contract that could reach $13 million with incentives.
Pickett was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and was widely expected to have a chance at a career resurgence like Sam Darnold experienced in Minnesota. However, that was questioned when the Browns surprisingly drafted Oregon quarterback Gabriel in the third round. Then the Browns one-upped themselves by drafting Colorado quarterback Sanders in the fifth round after his public fall from the first round.
What’s Sanders’ Near Future With the Browns?
Sanders has been performing well with the third team but has yet to get any reps with the first team. Speculation about his role on the team has been a hot topic in league and media circles. Some analysts believe Sanders is a long-term development project, while some suggest he might not even make the active roster or end up on the practice squad
Gabriel’s heavy usage with the second team suggests Browns HC Kevin Stefanski has a clear hierarchy in his quarterback room. For now, it’s only the sixth day and second week of camp, and the severity of Pickett’s hamstring is unclear.
Should the Browns choose to start the season with Flacco, there’s speculation that the organization may try one or both of the rookies as starters if the team is performing poorly mid-season.
The Browns play their first preseason game on August 8 against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
