The Cleveland Browns continue to wrestle with uncertainty at the quarterback position, despite the significant investment made in Deshaun Watson back in 2022, opening the door for a four-way fight for the spot – including Shedeur Sanders, who is well in the mix.
Watson‘s five-year, $230 million deal was intended to stabilize the franchise at the most important position in football. Instead, as the 2025 offseason unfolds, he is once again sidelined through injury having barely played a snap.
Now with four quarterbacks vying for the 29-year-old’s spot, in the form of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, each with a legitimate claim to the starting job, the Browns‘ head coach reveals no decision is imminent and that all have an opportunity.
“We’re not even there yet,” Stefanski told ESPN Cleveland Radio. “For us, we’re really worried about OTA, number one. And then we’re worried about Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week.
“If you’re on our roster, you’re competing for a role… We don’t have to set a roster until late August, we don’t have to set a depth.
“We have to get the football team ready to play, certainly, but you’re competing for a role in what you do. I would hope every player on our team, quarterback or otherwise, is competing for a role.”
However, the approach contrasts to recent comments made by one of the team’s owners, Charles Woodson, who expressed a clear preference for the veteran quarterback, Flacco.
“There’s only so many reps that you can get,” Woodson told CBS Sports. “And there’s a lot of quarterbacks in that room…
“I suspect that it will be Joe Flacco just because he has that experience. I would expect that, day one, he would probably be the guy.
“But whatever reps that you do get, if you’re Dillon, or you’re Shedeur, or Pickett, whatever reps you get, you have to show us, in a limited amount of reps, your value to the team.”
Why could Flacco land the Week 1 starter gig?
Flacco, at 40 years old, offers Cleveland a proven option under center, boasting a Super Bowl MVP title and over a decade of NFL experience, as well as a solid stint with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024/25; where he made 1761 yards for 12 touchdowns in six starts.
In contrast, the other three candidates, Pickett, Sanders, and Gabriel, all collectively have only three years of NFL experience, all of which come from Pickett, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The contrast in experience levels is stark and considering the Browns look for early season momentum, they could lean to the veteran to start. Particularly after he helped lead the Browns to a playoff berth in 2023/24.
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