Organized Team Activities (OTAs) have begun across nearly all NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, who are drawing significant attention from the media and fans – especially because the quarterback competition is heating up, largely due to the presence of the high-profile Shedeur Sanders.
Setting aside Deshaun Watson, who is injured and very unlikely to play for the Browns again, the quarterback room is completely different from last year. The franchise signed two veterans – Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett – and surprised many during the draft by selecting Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth.
Although Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t said it openly, he knows that Joe Flacco holds a strong lead over the others. The reason is simple: Flacco already had a successful stint with the team in 2023, joining midseason and leading them to the playoffs with strong performances. As a result, the Delaware product has Stefanski’s full confidence.
Shedeur Sanders continues making progress in the QB competition
Much of the attention at the Browns’ training camp is focused on Shedeur Sanders – and rightly so. The franchise has a history of dysfunction, but someone like Sanders, who comes from the Colorado Buffaloes, naturally brings a spotlight with him.
According to reports, Shedeur Sanders has been performing very well. It’s worth remembering that Sanders was once projected to be a first-round pick, but surprisingly fell all the way to pick No. 144, where the Browns finally took him.
In an interview on ESPN Cleveland, radio host Aaron Goldhammer said Shedeur Sanders has a strong chance to be the Browns’ starting quarterback at some point this season. At this moment, he’s only behind Joe Flacco, who appears set to start in Week 1.
“I would say that, right now, in my mind, [Sanders] is second in line,” Goldhammer said. “I don’t want Kenny Pickett to play because I think it would be a big waste of time. Flacco is going to start the season, and if Flacco flames out, I think by the time we get to October or November – whenever that happens – it’s more likely than not that the second quarterback to start games for the Browns this year is Shedeur Sanders.”
So the key for Sanders is to stay focused on his work with the Browns and not get distracted by everything surrounding him off the field. Because if he shows all the talent he’s said to have, it would be a major blow to the 31 teams that passed on him – especially the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers, who chose other quarterbacks instead.
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