The Browns’ quarterback room feels less like a depth chart and more like a race. Kevin Stefanski has four healthy arms, one job, and no clear favorite in sight. With Deshaun Watson still sidelined due to his Achilles injury and the once-massive gamble now looking busted, Cleveland is forced into open competition mode. The Browns’ front office went into overdrive, stockpiling quarterbacks in draft season. This offseason alone, they traded for Kenny Pickett, re-signed veteran Joe Flacco, and drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on Days 2 and 3. It looked like chaos dressed up as strategy. Kevin Stefanski isn’t intimidated by it. He’s leaning all the way in, saying he’s giving everyone “a fair and equal chance” at reps and practices, hoping that clarity will emerge from chaos. The field isn’t quiet, every snap is a spotlight waiting to be dissected by critics and fans alike.
But now, as OTAs roll on, one name is starting to break through the fog: Shedeur Sanders. During a recent OTA, Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi posted, “I don’t always like feeding the beast and making too much of one practice but for the sake of transparency, my general thoughts on the QBs yesterday.” He continued, “Sanders got the fewest reps but was efficient, especially in red zone drills. Also liked what I saw from Gabriel in RZ.” Despite the limited reps, Sanders’ calm decision-making has caught the eyes beyond the building. Keyshawn Johnson and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson have both thrown public support behind the rookie, predicting Shedeur will emerge as QB1 before the 2025 season ends.
I don’t always like feeding the beast and making too much of one practice but for the sake of transparency, my general thoughts on the QBs yesterday:
— Flacco operated the offense the best, pushed the ball downfield
— Sanders got the fewest reps but was efficient, especially…
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) May 29, 2025
Still, if anyone looked like a starter this week, it was Joe Flacco. Oyefusi reported that “Flacco operated the offense the best, pushed the ball downfield,” a performance that backed up the Browns’ decision to bring him back after his 2024 stint with the Colts. Flacco’s deep-ball accuracy and command under pressure gave Cleveland a stabilizing presence amid the frenzy, though age and mobility remain his limitations. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett couldn’t catch a break—literally. “Pickett got worst OL protection of the QBs yesterday,” Oyefusi noted, a brutal footnote in an already shaky start to his Cleveland chapter. Gabriel flashed in the red zone too, but Stefanski’s practice plan made it clear: reps are earned, and veterans still get the edge.
Stefanski’s strategy has sparked debate, especially as the rookie with the fewest snaps becomes the one everyone’s talking about. But these few throws are not determining the perfect athlete for the role of QB1.
OTAs are not the final verdict
Former NFL offensive lineman and current Fox Sports analyst Mark Schlereth isn’t buying the hype coming out of Browns OTAs. Speaking on Breakfast Ball, Schlereth called out the rush to crown a starter in Cleveland, criticizing pundits for ignoring the scripted, low-contact nature of offseason practices. “This is so stupid,” Schlereth said. “We get excited about OTAs?”
Kevin Stefanski also echoed a similar opinion, saying that OTAs are not the final verdict. The rookies need room to grow and make mistakes. He kept it real about Browns rookie progress. “It takes time. So, I like the attitude of these rookies where they understand there’s work to be put in,” Stefanski said. “I know everybody kind of slept pretty well last night, which is good, and then we’ll get another good day tomorrow. But they’re really – they’re taking coaching, which I appreciate.
With Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel fighting for the job against veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, every throw in Berea is suddenly headline material. The Browns’ QB competition has turned into a full-blown spectacle, with fans and analysts dissecting 10-yard completions like it’s Week 17. Schlereth reminded viewers that OTAs are structured for development, not evaluation.
“What people don’t understand is that oftentimes in these OTAs, we will script success,” Schlereth explained. “You’ll go against the second-team defense, or design a route combo against a specific coverage, just to see something work. You want the offense to win today. Tomorrow, it might be the defense’s turn.” The OTAs can either set an athlete up for failure, success, or they might even only get a few reps in. Fans can speculate how much of the OTAs are titled in favour of the players, but the message stands strong. What happens now may change very well as soon as the season starts.
Even Sanders, who completed 7-of-9 passes for two touchdowns in a recent practice per ESPN Cleveland, would likely downplay the significance. Schlereth didn’t mince words about stats from non-contact drills: “In 7-on-7, in these situations, scripted drills, to put any weight into this is just moronic.”
Fans have their eyes peeled for how the Browns sort out their murky QB room situation. Only time will tell if the rookie or the veteran is crowned as the QB1.
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