Experience matters in the locker room. And few bring more of it than Joe Flacco. At the age of 40, he hasn’t slowed down. He is as impressive as he was in 2023, leading the Browns to a 4-1 record and into the playoffs. The veteran QB had 300 passing yards in four straight wins with the team. What’s striking here is how Flacco held the reins in the absence of Deshaun Watson, who was out due to his injury. Although he is back again in the roster with equally promising chance, Browns’ CB seemingly isn’t convinced, as he backed up another QB in Cleveland. And no, it’s not Flacco.
With two veterans and two rookies, the crowded QB room is all the rage. Shedeur Sanders and Dillion Gabriel, who entered the league this season, are also the stars to keep an eye on. However, the rookies are yet to learn everything that they could use to lead the team. While the two cannot be ruled out yet, the conversation has mostly circled around who among the veterans, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, can lead and become QB 1.
Flacco? After all, he helped push the Browns back into playoff contention, and that stretch earned him the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year! However, this isn’t enough for Browns CB Greg Newsome. Not only did he make a point for the quarterback, Newsome also claimed that Kenny Pickett reminded him of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran Baker Mayfield. Speaking on the @CLETalkingHeads, he said, “[Kenny Pickett] has always been one of my favorite guys to compete against. He’s a guy that reminds me of that tenacity that Baker had, like just out there trying to go at you, he’s going to talk some trash with you. ‘I’m just an ultimate competitor.’”
#Browns CB Greg Newsome II on @CLETalkingHeads: Kenny Pickett has always been one of my favorite guys to compete against; he has a lot of tenacity, similar to Baker Mayfield https://t.co/shIPuVBvrX
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 26, 2025
The defense cornerback will perhaps have a better idea of who he believes would lead in the QB room. The Browns‘ #8’s NFL journey hasn’t exactly gone as he would have wanted. He hasn’t been a full-time starter since his second and last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now with his third team, he’s hoping to make a real push for a starting role. “He does whatever, you know, the offense needs for him to win. And I think obviously….in Pittsburgh, it wasn’t a pass-heavy, it was a more run (game). So that’s what he had to do. And I think he did a great job at doing that. So whatever he needs to do, I feel like he’ll be able to do it at a high level.” The confidence of Newsome in Pickett is full, as he clearly stated, “It’s a nightmare,” when asked about the QB’s mobility.
So, while Joe Flacco is definitely the more experienced guy and probably the safer option, Pickett’s got some mobility and that untapped potential teams love to bet on. After all, he checks off a lot of key boxes. He’s got a strong arm that can handle every NFL-level throw. He’s sharp with his passes, too, accurate and on target more often than not. What really adds to his game is his mobility.
The guy knows how to move, slip out of pressure, and keep plays alive with his legs. And above all, he’s smart. He reads defenses fast and rarely hesitates when it’s time to pull the trigger. If he shows enough in camp, he might just edge out Flacco for the job. Even head coach Kevin Stefanski had high words of praise for him in this crucial year, where he needs to prove himself.
The Browns have serious plans this season for Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett & others!
Flacco and Pickett have been splitting first-team reps early in training camp. Now, the Browns are still figuring out who their main quarterback will be for the season. Right now, Flacco and Pickett are taking turns practicing with the top players. Pickett got the first chance, and Flacco took over the next day. Another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, also got a few chances, but will he become the starter?
Gabriel’s performance has been gaining traction. Many analysts have even suggested that he has better chances than Sanders. As a Sportswriter, Mary Kay Cabot shared, “His (Gabriel’s) superpower in the competition is his computer-like processing speed and decision-making.” Cabot isn’t the only one. Earlier, Spencer German even dubbed one of Gabriel’s bootleg fakes “the throw of the day.”
While Gabriel has been consistently putting up impressive performances, Pickett still holds the lead. As Browns remain undecided on their QB1, veterans have continued to praise the players and debate on the same.“[We] feel like he’s a good decision-maker, he does a really good job of protecting the ball. He’s very mobile, and we think that his relative strengths are something that fit well with the offense that we’re putting into place for this upcoming year,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said about Pickett.
Nevertheless, as per the Browns, all four quarterbacks will get a fair shot during training camp. However, it’s still too early to tell who will win the job!
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