The saga surrounding the fight for the starting quarterback role with the Cleveland Browns promises to be both entertaining and intense. This is due in large part to the franchise selecting two quarterbacks in the recent NFL Draft, one of whom was the media-hyped former Colorado Buffaloes player, Shedeur Sanders.
Two rounds before selecting Sanders in the fifth round, the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel, former Oregon Ducks quarterback. As a result, Cleveland now has five quarterbacks on its roster, and there is no clear starter at this moment – it seems like an even battle among all of them.
The only one clearly out of the competition is Deshaun Watson, who may miss the entire 2025 season due to two Achilles tendon injuries suffered last October and again in January. That’s why the Browns signed veteran quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in free agency, in addition to the aforementioned rookies, Gabriel and Sanders.
Andrew Siciliano’s starting QB prediction
In recent weeks, multiple theories have been circulating about who will start at quarterback for the Browns. Some say Joe Flacco, others point to Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, or Shedeur Sanders. Opinions are all over the place.
Browns radio announcer Andrew Siciliano appeared on the “Talking Heads” show on 92.3 The Fan to share his take – and fans of Shedeur Sanders didn’t like what he had to say.
“If there were a game tomorrow, it would be Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco,” Siciliano said. “Right now, I’d lean toward Kenny Pickett. If Shedeur Sanders hadn’t fallen to the fifth round, your quarterback room would be Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel, and you’d probably say it’s a competition between Pickett and Flacco. Pickett is younger, and Dillon Gabriel is going to learn and be the apprentice to two veterans. If one were clearly better, sure – but for now, it’s Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.”
One advantage for the Browns quarterbacks is that if everyone performs well during training camp and one has to be cut, there are still teams in need of a quarterback – such as the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although Siciliano currently favors Pickett as the starter, he emphasized that camp is long and the joint practices the Browns will have against the Panthers and Eagles could give head coach Kevin Stefanski the clarity he needs.
“You’ve got two joint practices with the Panthers and the Eagles; you get a lot done in those practices,” Siciliano said. “And you’ve also got three meaningful preseason games. This summer is going to be different. The days of ‘this preseason game means nothing’ are over.”
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