Decisions will soon come involving the Cleveland Browns’ four-player quarterback competition. Training camp begins with Cleveland expected to make moves with a clearer depth chart ahead of the 2025 season. There is reportedly a growing belief that fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, one of two rookies in a battle also featuring veteran Joe Flacco and offseason signing Kenny Pickett, could be the odd man out.
Cleveland took the field with 40 different starting quarterbacks since 1999, the most in the NFL and only three of those delivered a winning record as a starter, including Flacco.
“The first week or two of training camp, I expect the Browns to run it similarly to the spring — OTAs and minicamp — all four quarterbacks training blows,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said. “First team, second team and third team. You’re going to see all that. And then Kevin Stefanski will crystalize the pecking order. Shedeur Sanders did impress in the spring, like he was willing to throw the ball in tight window. He was accurate.
“But when you ask people with Cleveland, they do bring some caution and (say) he was working with third-team a lot. Not much of a pass rush. He’s got a ways to go and so that will probably show early on in camp.”
Fowler previously indicated it was unlikely the franchise would take four quarterbacks into the regular season, and one would be relegated to practice squad duties.
Stefanski said last month the franchise was pleased with the progress shown by Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. However, he offered no inkling into who the Browns would roll with as their starter this season.
“Those guys are doing great,” Stefanski said of his rookie signal callers. “They are both wired to get in early, stay late, put in whatever work is required. They’re sponges in the meeting room, which I think is really fun for me. In my vantage point, I get to sit there and watch the two young guys look over and there’s Joe, 40 years old, won a Super Bowl. There’s Kenny Pickett, just going into Year 4, but first-round draft pick that’s been on a couple teams, won a Super Bowl last year.
“There’s Deshaun (Watson), had a ton of success in his career. They can kind of feed off of all those guys. So that’s the thing, it’s fun for me to watch them get better sometimes just by listening.”
Cleveland’s quarterback dilemma sparked reaction from across the NFL, including opinions from Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson, ex-coach Eric Mangini and former players T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Johnny Manziel.
Manziel, who started eight games in Cleveland between 2014 and 2015, seems to be the only voice who expressed belief that Sanders can win the starting job.
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