Time goes by, and the Browns continue to be one of the biggest jokes in the league. The main storyline from last preseason was the quarterback position. The team started training camp with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and two rookies from the most recent NFL Draft – Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
The preseason was a total circus. Head coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t name a starting quarterback until mid-August, ultimately choosing Joe Flacco. That decision wasn’t much of a surprise, since the 18-year veteran already had experience with the team after playing for them in 2023, when he actually led them to the playoffs.
However, in 2025, things fell apart. Flacco was a disaster – in four starts, he threw only two touchdown passes and six interceptions. He was eventually traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Kenny Pickett had already been traded before the season started, leaving Dillon Gabriel as the starter and Shedeur Sanders as the backup – both rookies drafted by Cleveland.
Browns criticized for passing on Jaxson Dart
Starting in Week 5, Dillon Gabriel took over as the Browns’ starting quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes against the Vikings, but in the next game against the Steelers, he threw the ball 52 times without a single touchdown. His performance was rough, and the criticism toward both the franchise and Kevin Stefanski hasn’t stopped since.
Meanwhile, three weeks ago, the New York Giants gave rookie Jaxson Dart his first start – and he’s been sensational. Dart has a 2-1 record as a starter and has brought new energy to the Giants. He was selected in the first round with the 25th overall pick, after New York made a trade with the Houston Texans.
After seeing how well Jaxson Dart has performed – and how terrible the Browns’ offense has been – The Dawgs: A Cleveland Browns Podcast analyzed how Cleveland let Dart slip through their fingers:
“The Browns went on dates with every single one of these quarterbacks, and Dillon Gabriel is the one they came away saying, ‘That’s who we want to be in a relationship with.’ And then I go out and watch Jaxson Dart making pro-level NFL throws three games into his career.”
The Browns originally held the No. 2 overall pick in the draft but traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected Travis Hunter. Even after that, Cleveland still had the No. 5 pick – but instead of taking Jaxson Dart, they chose defensive tackle Mason Graham. Now, while Graham is solid, Dart is shining with the New York Giants.
Read the full article here
