The Cleveland Browns have been fairly clear that Deshaun Watson isn’t their quarterback of the future, even though he’s going to remain a weight on the salary cap sheet for years to come.
Cleveland traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for QB Kenny Pickett this offseason, but has yet to add another QB with any name recognition to the roster. NFL insiders and analysts have linked the Browns to an array of signal-callers, including a reunion with Joe Flacco, a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for Kirk Cousins and drafting Shedeur Sanders of Colorado with the No. 2 overall pick.
However, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projected a different path forward for the Browns on Tuesday, April 8. Kiper expects Cleveland to pass on Sanders in favor of cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter — the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and Sanders’ teammate at Colorado — and then draft Louisville QB Tyler Shough with the first pick in round two (No. 33 overall).
“Shough has the arm strength to drive the ball in Cleveland weather, and he looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds,” Kiper wrote. “Some evaluators will be concerned by his age (turning 26 this year), but the flip side of that is his experience — he has thrown 951 passes over 43 career games. He could compete with Pickett for starts.”
Tyler Shough Has Injury History That Should Concern Browns
Shough threw for nearly 3,200 yards, 23 TDs and just 6 INTs last season with Louisville in a solid campaign. However, his injury history is significant.
Shough began his collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks, where he played for three seasons, before transferring to Texas Tech for three more years. Last season, his first with the Cardinals, was Shough’s seventh in college.
He was impacted by the COVID year, but also fell victim to multiple injuries over his college career. As a result, Shough has appeared in just 42 games as a collegiate quarterback. He had never played in more than seven contests in a single campaign before the 2024 season in Louisville.
Cleveland Should Consider Joe Flacco if Team Decides to Pass on Shedeur Sanders, Draft Tyler Shough
Shough and Pickett might be enough for the Browns in 2025, though Cleveland would still be a strong candidate to add another signal-caller if those two and a banged-up Watson comprise the entirety of the QB room.
The Browns must be careful in terms of spending, and Shough on a second-round rookie deal plus Pickett playing on the final season of a four-year rookie contract worth $14 million total would prove financially ideal.
However, given Pickett’s struggles since joining the league and the question marks around Shough, general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski would have to consider a third QB potentially capable of winning the starting job. If the Browns struggle mightily again in 2025 following a three-win campaign last year, Berry and/or Stefanski could find themselves out of a job before they ever find out what a player like Shough is capable of accomplishing in the NFL.
Flacco appears the most realistic option, as he built a solid connection with Cleveland fans while leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2023. He is also a free agent and can be signed for a reasonable amount of money on a one-year deal, whereas Cousins is set to make $27.5 million in base salary this season, and the Browns would need to trade an asset to Atlanta to acquire him.
