The Cleveland Browns quarterbacks are in a four-way battle for the starting job as the team enters training camp. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are both unremarkable veterans with plenty of starting experience, while third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders hope to show promise and capitalize on the lack of high-ceiling veterans on the roster. Teams normally carry a maximum of three quarterbacks on the depth chart, so it’s likely one of these players will not be around by Week 1.
According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the Browns are unlikely to trade either of their young quarterbacks before the season begins. This means that Pickett and Flacco are likely fighting for one job, with the winner starting the season atop the depth chart and the loser having to find a new home elsewhere.
Browns Won’t Trade Young Quarterbacks; Flacco, Pickett Fighting For One Spot
This report shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as both Gabriel and Sanders are on team-friendly contracts for the next four years. The Browns have historically struggled to find adequate quarterbacks throughout the history of the franchise, and if either player shows even the slightest sliver of potential, the Browns will try to turn them into the quarterback of the future.
Pickett and Flacco, meanwhile, are both low-end starters that can keep the seat warm in the short term but won’t provide any long-term value. Pickett appears to be the favorite to start as of this posting, but Wolfe notes Flacco is right there with him. After entering the league with the rival Steelers, Pickett spent the 2024 season with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Browns. Flacco, meanwhile, used to be an above-average starter and has a Super Bowl MVP to his name, but has slowed down with time. Now entering his age-40 season, the Browns hope he can recapture his strong five-start stint in 2023.
Main Photo: Jeff Lange – Imagn Images
