The Cleveland Browns have a burgeoning quarterback battle this offseason.
Between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, no clear favorite has emerged ahead of training camp.
Cleveland will be one of the few truly open quarterback camp battles taking place this summer. However, the long-term vision of the organization may also be at play.
After general manager Andrew Berry tipped his cap that the Browns considered a young quarterback in April’s draft and were due for a “strategic pivot,” Cleveland’s current quarterback room may not have much standing with the team beyond this season with the prospect of taking a blue-chip quarterback next year.
“With Jacksonville’s first-round pick in their back pocket, the Browns could be in position to get a future franchise quarterback in next year’s draft. That raises the stakes for every quarterback currently on the Cleveland roster,” Pro Football Talk’s Florio wrote on July 5. “Because there’s a chance none of them will be the starter in 2026.”
GM Andrew Berry Makes Telling Comment on Direction of Browns Franchise
The Browns’ trade back from the No. 2 spot in April’s draft came to the chagrin of many fans who hoped to land a bona fide blue-chip star for the team.
However, Cleveland’s core is aging out, and the Browns have not had the draft capital to backload the roster with talent after giving up so much capital in the Deshaun Watson trade.
That led to what Berry called a “strategic pivot” in not taking Travis Hunter and instead moving back three spots to take Mason Graham while also landing running backs Quinshon Judkins 36th overall and Dylan Sampson at No. 126.
“We knew we were due for a little bit of a strategic pivot,” Berry said on CBS Sports’ “First Pick” podcast, per Sports Illustrated.
Both running back and defensive tackle are positions that need to be addressed for the future with Nick Chubb gone and Myles Garrett turning 30 years old.
Those positions seem to be addressed for the time being, which shortens the list of needs for next year’s draft that could see the Browns prioritize the quarterback position.
“That (pivot) can be in a variety of ways when you’re sitting with the No. 2 pick. Probably the most direct path is you take a young quarterback, hit on him and it’s the most important position in sports. One of the alternative paths is you take a non-quarterback. In this position, potentially the best player in the draft with Travis and someone that the league hasn’t really seen before in terms of a two-way player.
“And then the third avenue … you’re able to take a very good player but significantly increase the amount of resources that you have to build the team over a multi-year time horizon.”
Browns’ Week 1 Starting QB Betting Odds
There’s still plenty that needs to play out this summer in determining the Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback.
Bookies’ veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson handicapped the Browns’ quarterback situation and found it to be a compelling battle this summer, listing the following odds for each quarterback to be the Week 1 starter.
