The situation the Cleveland Browns have created this offseason-with four quarterbacks competing for the starting role-has sparked controversy, endless debate, and a looming decision with seemingly no path to a happy ending.
Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders are all on the table for head coach Kevin Stefanski, who must choose the one he believes can lead the team to the promised land-a feat that would already be considered a success if it simply means reaching the playoffs.
Rumors swirl endlessly about who will be named the starter, with fans and analysts each backing their preferred candidate. What’s clear is that the Browns lack a defined strategy. There’s no obvious vision-whether the team wants to prioritize the running game and supplement it with the pass, or instead go with a more mobile quarterback who can improvise when plays break down.
Everything feels chaotic, and while fans-tired of the same old story-hope for control and competence, the coaching staff hasn’t yet proven they know what they’re doing.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, for instance, believes Kenny Pickett will get the nod, with Joe Flacco serving as a backup.
I think they are going to roll with Kenny for right now. – Then Joe will come in. – I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason.
That prediction may hold for the preseason, but a change could come once the regular season begins. Although Flacco led the team to the playoffs in 2023, a repeat performance in 2025 feels unlikely.
On ESPN’s Get Up, the show’s NFL analysts made a harsh-yet possibly accurate-statement about Cleveland’s outlook. The discussion centered on teams that saw instant success after turning to rookie quarterbacks: Brock Purdy in 2022, C.J. Stroud in 2023, and Jayden Daniels last year with the Washington Redskins. But when Harry Douglas was asked if something similar could happen in Cleveland, he didn’t hesitate:
You have the Cleveland Browns. Whether it’s whatever quarterback that they drafted or whatever quarterback that they have, they’re not making the playoffs either.
A grim forecast for 2025
Analysts, experts, and oddsmakers alike aren’t optimistic about the Browns’ chances. Most project them with few-or no-real hopes of making the postseason.
In fact, some believe the Browns should lose as many games as possible to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. But if that’s the case, it begs the question: what was the point of this entire four-quarterback circus?
Cleveland fans certainly hope that won’t be the outcome. And so do the quarterbacks themselves, whose careers-some nearing the end, others just beginning-could be seriously affected depending on how this season unfolds.
Only time will tell whether this team has what it takes to turn things around or if, once again, it all goes straight into the trash.
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