It’s July, and the Cleveland Browns already have a quarterback controversy. It’s not about who’s playing well, it’s about who’s even supposed to be starting. Between rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, veteran Kenny Pickett, and the senior most QB Joe Flacco, this is no traditional competition. There’s no long-term clarity. No short-term consensus. Just noise. And a head coach, Kevin Stefanski, juggling job security with the pressure to finally get it right under center.
Tony Rizzo didn’t hold back on ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show. “To get one of those rookies ready for Week 1… that’s malpractice,” he said, reacting to whispers that Shedeur Sanders could be the Browns’ opening-day starter. “Let the veteran guys start the first couple.” His reasoning? The first four opponents, Bengals, Ravens, Packers, and Lions, are no cakewalk.
Rizzo’s seen this movie before, Cleveland throws a rookie in too soon, the season spirals, and the reset button gets hammered again. But here’s where things get a little more complicated. Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry didn’t draft Shedeur Sanders just to sit and learn forever. Shedeur comes in with NFL lineage, mental toughness, and a clean throwing profile. He racked up 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 3 picks at Colorado last year behind a bad offensive line. He was sacked 52 times and still kept that offense functioning. That counts for something.
.@TheRealTRizzo doesn’t think it would be fair to either Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel to start them week 1.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/wyzVoiHJDx
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 3, 2025
Still, Rizzo’s concerns aren’t just old-school stubbornness. The Browns’ schedule starts fast. In a division where 10-7 might not even get you in, you can’t afford a rookie’s learning curve to stretch into October. Start 1–3, and the noise around Stefanski intensifies. Start 3–1, and suddenly there’s a push to ride that momentum. That’s why Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett might be the right early-season insurance. It’s not about limiting Shedeur, it’s about protecting his arc. Let the system support him before he becomes the system.
But there’s another side. If Shedeur is the best quarterback in camp, if he’s stacking days and flashing command in practice, how do you justify keeping him on the sideline? Development doesn’t always require a clipboard. Some QBs, C.J. Stroud and Justin Herbert, only took off once they were thrown into live action. And unlike most rookies, Shedeur doesn’t lack confidence or maturity.
This isn’t just about who starts. It’s about what this QB room says about the Browns. There’s no succession plan, no commitment to development.
Can Shedeur Sanders become the starter?
Kevin Stefanski has been crystal clear about the offseason’s purpose. “Let’s not look too much into who’s out there and when. We’re in the installation phase, we’re in the teaching phase,” he said during the minicamp. He purposely withheld first‑team reps from rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, keeping the focus on system installation rather than anointing starters.
It’s not chaos, but more of desperation about naming their leader. Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Stefanski’s plan was simple, first‑team reps went to Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, while the rookies remained with the backups. That’s not slamming Shedeur, it’s a methodical choice to preserve game‑ready veterans for early reps, while letting the rookies absorb and develop.
Despite keeping him off the one’s unit, Stefanski has been quick to compliment Shedeur Shedeur’s work ethic and accuracy. “I like everything about Shedeur,” he said earlier in offseason drills. “He keeps getting better every day,” demonstrating an approach rooted in gradual development, not hype. The coach has signaled that things will get serious in late July.
This may look like a muddle. But Stefanski’s method is neither accidental nor careless, it’s strategic. He’s preserving veteran value, easing rookies in, and setting the stage for a camp battle that begins when the pads go on. And for a team that went 3–14 last year? That kind of setup could make all the difference.
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