The Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback competition is intensifying-and rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders may already be slipping out of serious contention as an ex-wide receiver sends him potential bad news.
With NFL training camps less than a month away and preseason looming in August, Sanders, selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, may not be a frontrunner in the race for the team’s starting job.
That’s despite being one of the most talked-about players in Cleveland‘s offseason program, as the 23-year-old competes against the likes of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel in the race to impress Kevin Stefanski and his coaching staff.
According to the ex-Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, internal sources within the Browns organization believe the final competition is shaping up between two names, and neither of them are Shedeur‘s.
“I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player,” Houshmandzadeh told the Nightcap Show. “It’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel.”
That assessment directly challenges the narrative around Sanders, whose fame and impressive NCAA performances for the Colorado Buffaloes, have led many to expect him to make an immediate impact.
Where does this leave Joe Flacco?
The exclusion of Flacco from Houshmandzadeh‘s reported shortlist raises further questions about how Cleveland intends to build its quarterback depth chart as the 40-year-old, with his vast experience, had been tipped to lead the quartet into the season.
Flacco, who spurred the Browns on to a surprising playoff berth in 2023, remains the most experienced passer on the roster. However, his role may shift from contender to possible trade asset.
While Flacco‘s veteran leadership proved valuable that year, winning four of six games during a critical stretch without Deshaun Watson, the organization has since prioritized younger talent.
For example, Pickett was acquired via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, costing the Browns a fifth-round draft pick – whilst they dipped into the 2025 NFL Draft to land the 24-year-old Gabriel and 23-year-old Sanders.
These acquisitions suggest a strategic focus on long-term development and cost-controlled rookie contracts, rather than leaning on older veterans such as Flacco, despite his accomplished past.
Ice Cube sends advice to Sanders after speeding punishment
Sanders‘ media visibility has far outpaced what his draft position might typically warrant and whilst internally, however, decision-makers may view him as a developmental prospect, not an immediate starter, he now has to repair his reputation.
Adding to his challenges off the field, the son of Deion Sanders, dubbed Coach Prime, was recently stopped for driving at 101 miles per hour, although no one was injured in the incident.
It drew attention from far and wide, including rapper and entrepreneur Ice Cube, who addressed the situation in a segment with Robert Griffin III as he handed the young talent some much-needed advice.
“He has great pedigree. He’s the son of an NFL Hall of Famer,” Ice Cube said to Outta Pocket. “So he’s a great example of a kid taking the opportunity that’s in front of him and running with it. But don’t go 100 miles an hour. That would be my advice.
“Nothing good happens at 100 miles an hour. Wanna tell him to tone it down. Go 80, man. Go 85. But don’t go 100. Slow it down a little bit, youngster.”
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