The Cleveland Browns find themselves in an unusual position heading into the 2025 NFL season: they have four quarterbacks vying for roster spots, including two veterans, and in a surprising twist, they could be the ones axed.
The team also boasts two rookies with substantial upside with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel now in the fold, and it seems as though their younger ages could swing Kevin Stefanski in their favor.
The Browns‘ decision to select both rookies during the 2025 NFL Draft surprised some analysts, but it sent a clear message: the team is committed to developing future talent at quarterback.
However, carrying four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster is a logistical challenge that few NFL teams attempt, and Cleveland is unlikely to be an exception so Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett might be moved on.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Browns are unlikely to risk losing either of their prized rookies to waivers, making it almost certain that both Sanders and Gabriel will be retained on the active roster.
“I don’t see Shedeur Sanders going to the practice squad,” Jones said. “And if Shedeur Sanders beats Dillon Gabriel, I don’t see Dillon Gabriel going to the practice squad.
“And I also don’t see the Cleveland Browns keeping four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. The loser of Joe Flacco vs. Kenny Pickett will… try to be traded. That’s my overwhelming expectation.”
Will Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett be traded from the Browns?
He makes it clear that such a scenario leaves Flacco and Pickett competing for what could be the final quarterback spot in Cleveland. The loser of that battle will need to start again somewhere else.
And with the tendency of Andrew Berry, the team’s general manager, to have little interest in cutting recent draft picks, the competition between the veterans takes on a heightened level of urgency.
If it comes down to on-field performance and pedigree, Flacco has the edge, at least according to NFL analyst Mike Renner. On his podcast, he cast doubt on Pickett‘s long-term viability.
“The team that just won the Super Bowl,” Renner told the Pushing the Pile podcast. “Who is one of the best-run teams in the NFL, said that he wouldn’t have won the backup job if [he] had been there with Tanner McKee in the fold.
“I do think that’s a lot of evidence to say he hasn’t shown enough, and with Joe Flacco we’ve at least seen something.”
Renner’s assessment reflects growing skepticism around Pickett’s trajectory in the NFL as despite the pre-draft hype with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was traded twice in quick succession, first to the Philadelphia Eagles, and then to the Browns.
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