The Cleveland Browns are at a pivotal crossroads this offseason, and head coach Kevin Stefanski is no longer just planning; he’s bracing.
Following a franchise-low 3-14 finish in 2024, pressure is mounting for Cleveland‘s veteran coach, twice named AP Coach of the Year, to deliver results in 2025.
The Browns‘ surefire QB experiment with Deshaun Watson has fizzled with his lingering Achilles injury, forcing Stefanski to re-evaluate his options under center.
Yet four- and five-man quarterback rooms aren’t exactly a solution; they’re a symptom.
Reports suggest Stefanski has mentally narrowed the Week 1 starting role down to Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, or Dillon Gabriel, with Shedeur Sanders sliding to the fourth QB spot.
According to Browns insider Spencer German, Sanders has fallen so far behind that “they view him as the 4th man on this depth chart.”
That’s a harsh assessment for the former fifth-round pick, especially considering the hype surrounding his college success at Colorado.
Still, Stefanski hasn’t shut the door completely. He praised both rookies’ study habits and instincts, calling them “sponges in the meeting room.”
Plus, Sanders himself has downplayed all the noise, simply shrugging off questions about being the starter: “We got preseason first.”
That absence hasn’t gone unnoticed. Former Browns DB Tyvis Powell called it “mind-boggling” that he would be held back while other quarterbacks took reps.
Another rookie, Gabriel, has apparently jumped ahead in Stefanski‘s mind, reportedly the coach’s preferred QB, but that may be the subject of internal friction with General Manager Andrew Berry.
One analyst even suggested Stefanski favored Gabriel in talent evaluation, while Berry leaned toward later first-round gambles like Arch Manning in 2026.
QB carousel hits turbulence
There’s veteran stability in Flacco, who is expected to take Week 1 under center, possibly with Pickett in a close second in the pecking order, as minicamp signs pointed to.
Pickett‘s familiarity with NFL offenses and Flacco‘s proven composure make them logical no-risk bets to start steadying the ship.
Meanwhile, the rookie duo is fighting for relevance. Sanders and Gabriel have impressed some teammates. Myles Garrett called them steady and focused during minicamp drills.
Flacco recently stressed his presence is not merely mentorship: “It’s not really about that. It’s just not the main focus… The best way to be a mentor… is to show people how you go to work.”
So if Flacco is healthy and ready, he’s unlikely to step aside simply for development purposes.
Sanders hasn’t let negative headlines derail him; after a speeding citation, he returned with poise. Stefanski praised his energy, adding, “He’s got great energy, great kid, working his tail off, and he’s playing really well too.”
But that same coach is running out of time. Gambling on rookies is one thing, but after a disastrous season, another slow start could cost him his job.
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