The Cleveland Browns have a handful of quarterbacks from whom to choose a starter over the next several weeks, but one man is pretty clearly in control of his own destiny more than the competition.
Cleveland drafted two quarterbacks at the end of last month — Dillon Gabriel of Oregon late in the third round and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado early in the fifth round. Their status as rookie QBs on inexpensive contract who, nevertheless, required a draft pick to acquire probably means they’re both safe from the chopping block this offseason. However, none of that has any bearing at all with regards to starting come Week 1.
The Browns picked up Joe Flacco in free agency and traded for Kenny Pickett this offseason. They are both owed approximately $3 million in guaranteed money, which wouldn’t break the team if it chose to release either of them. That said, either signal caller could probably bring back a draft asset of some sort, so a trade will be the most likely form of exit for either Flacco or Pickett, should one of them depart Cleveland this season.
Given their ages and financial situations, Flacco or Pickett is the most likely QB to end up on another roster come Week 1. However, given their NFL experience and relative histories of success, they’re also the most likely to win the Browns’ starting job.
“Right now, I’d bet on Joe Flacco starting the opener for that reason,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote on Wednesday, May 7. “But, again, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will have the chance to change the equation if they show well enough over the course of May and the first half of June.”
Joe Flacco Poised to Replace Deshaun Watson as Browns Starting QB 1 Later Than He Perhaps Should Have
Flacco created an almost immediate kinship with the fans in Cleveland upon replacing the injured Deshaun Watson in 2023. He threw for 1,616 yards, 13 TDs and eight INTs across five regular-season starts (4-1). The Browns earned the highest wildcard spot in the AFC playoffs (No. 5 seed), but fell in blowout fashion to the Houston Texans on the road in the first round.
Cleveland chose not to bring Flacco back, even despite his success and how quickly he become beloved across the city. The primary thinking for that, based on the prevailing perspective of various analysts and insiders, was that the team didn’t want outside pressure to transition from Watson back to Flacco if issues arose early in 2024.
Watson entered last season as the Browns’ guy, as he began the third campaign of a five-year deal that includes $230 million guaranteed. Watson tore his Achilles tendon mid-season and missed the remainder of the year. He then re-tore the same tendon during rehabilitation, which continues for the QB as he comes up on his age-30 campaign.
Given the way the Browns have spoken about Watson, admitting his acquisition was a mistake, and the moves they’ve made since, it is unlikely he will ever play another down for Cleveland. However, his contract likely means he will remain on the team through at least 2025.
Single Season of Joe Flacco as Browns QB Could Be Exactly What Shedeur Sanders, Browns Need
All of that equals out to Flacco in the driver’s seat for the starting job, with Pickett hot on his heels but also the most likely player to exit Cleveland this summer if he can’t win the QB1 spot outright.
It puts Sanders and Gabriel both in advantageous positions for the future, particularly if Flacco wins the gig. He is 40 years old and on a one-year deal, and this could prove his final NFL season. Pickett is in his mid-20s, but a good season for him probably means a better contract elsewhere a year from now, assuming he plays at all for the Browns in 2025.
Watson may be a presence over the next year or two, but he shouldn’t pose a threat to either Sanders or Gabriel in the longterm. Essentially, that means the two rookies will be battling it out for either the QB2 job heading into Week 1, or the QB3 job with a strong likelihood of promotion to either QB2 or QB1 in 2026.
That could actually prove a better scenario than starting in 2025, as the Browns have questions at the offensive tackle positions, which could mean a lot of edge pressure on QBs this season, and minimal weapons in the pass game. A year on the sideline watching and learning the system in Cleveland, as well as getting a feel for the pace of the pro game, could end up being a blessing in disguise for Sanders and/or Gabriel.
That said, Sanders surely wants to get on the field and prove his detractors wrong as quickly as possible after an unprecedented draft slide just two weeks ago. Flacco, however, will have a good deal to say about whether Sanders gets that chance, as will Gabriel.
