The Cleveland Browns aren’t considerably closer to naming a starting quarterback for the 2025 campaign than they were in May, just after the team added Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the third and fifth rounds of the NFL draft, respectively.
That said, the Browns exited mandatory minicamp with a couple of clear takeaways. First, they may have more realistic options under center between Sanders, Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco than they initially imagined. Second, Sanders’ performance to this point in the preseason is indicative of Cleveland having found a steal in the 23-year-old quarterback by acquiring him early on Day 3.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler offered a report on Sanders during a hit on the Saturday evening, June 14 edition of “SportsCenter,” saying that the former Colorado Buffaloes star signal-caller has “made an impression” on the Browns’ coaching staff.
https://x.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1933871035864232332
“This was fascinating because I was told Kevin Stefanski’s plan for his four quarterbacks in OTAs and minicamp was to try to get a lot of different guys different touches in different situations, and they all really answered the bell, including Sanders who showed the ability to put the ball in some tight windows,” Fowler said. “He threw with aggressiveness, took some chances, so they like where he sits. Now Stefanski has to formulate a plan in training camp that is probably a little more crystallized, maybe has a little more depth chart to it. They are not there yet. But Sanders has made an impression, there’s no doubt.”
Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel Battling to Become Browns’ QB of the Future
While Pickett and Gabriel took the most snaps through mandatory minicamp last week, and while Flacco has the best career resumé as well as the most past success with the team (he went 4-1 in 2023 and led team to the playoffs), the battle between Sanders and Gabriel is likely the only one with the potential to define the future of the franchise.
“Unless Flacco or Pickett somehow find an unexpected spark this fall, what happens with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders matters the most,” Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report wrote on June 13. “Either Dillon or Sanders show they’re capable of being a starter, or the team can move past both a year from now and again enter the quarterback market.”
Currently, it reads as though Gabriel is the favorite to get the first shot at starting in Cleveland, but it is unclear whether that chance will come in Week 1 or later on. The Browns drafted him before Sanders and gave him first reps in rookie minicamp, as well as more total reps in mandatory minicamp.
Still, Fowler’s report on Sanders’ progression makes him a strong challenger to Gabriel, even if he is still technically the underdog in the middle of June.
Most Reports Indicate Shedeur Sanders on Rise With Browns in Recent Weeks
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com also reported positive strides for Sanders this month.
“After a bit of a slow start in spring practices, Sanders has come on strong over the past two weeks with plenty of completions, touchdown passes and grasp of the scheme,” Cabot wrote Saturday. “Granted, he’s still the fourth-team quarterback and has a long way to go. But he’s made significant strides during recent organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp, remaining alive in the competition.”
Sanders still has approximately seven weeks of improvement remaining before the Browns take the field for their first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 8.
