This year feels different for the Browns. They have never developed a quarterback ever since their return in ’99. QBs tried? 30+. QBs developed? None. Fast forward to this season, their quarterback room is starting to feel like a packed elevator—and the doors just keep opening. After two chaotic seasons headlined by Deshaun Watson’s struggles and injuries, Cleveland decided it was time for a reset.
First came Kenny Pickett, a calculated trade move. Then they brought back the ever-reliable Joe Flacco, the vet who bailed them out in the 2023 season. But the real statement came during draft week. Not one, but two quarterbacks—Dillon Gabriel on Day 2, followed by Shedeur Sanders on Day 3. If that doesn’t scream “open competition,” nothing else does.
Speaking of which, the Browns have started their OTAs on Tuesday, May 27, and all eyes are on the quarterback competition. Sure, their QB room is crowded. But let’s be real—for the time being, Flacco and Sanders are the center of attention. While Flacco is expected to lead the Browns’ O-line, folks out there believe that Sanders might be the one to call the plays in his rookie season. That means only one thing—the real competition is on.
And looking at Shedeur’s performance on day 2 of the team’s OTAs in Ohio, it’s certain that the guy’s landed in Cleveland not to warm bench. But to make his way through. We’re talking about 78% of completion during the OTAs. That’s 7 out of 9—with three touchdowns and yup, no interception. That screams an open competition to Flacco and a hard hit to all the noise that came after he slipped to the fifth round.
And get this, Shedeur’s dad, Deion Sanders, is all in praising his youngest son. On Thursday, Coach Prime hopped up to his Instagram and shared a clip of Shedeur throwing passes. “It’s a beautiful thing,” he wrote, admiring Shedeur’s passing ability. The hard work and grind of the father-son duo paid off. And the results are in front of us.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Browns are expected to start with Flacco in week 1 of the 2025 season. The 40-year-old quarterback threw 9 of 14 for one touchdown and zero interceptions. So yeah, if this competition goes the same way during the mandatory training camp and the preseason, the job’s going to be tough for Kevin Stefanski ahead of the 2025 season. Plain and simple. But we’ll see.
If not in week 1, Shedeur will certainly start at a certain point in his rookie season. And his performance at the OTAs is backing him.
The Browns’ QB room at the OTAs, besides Shedeur Sanders
Head Coach Stefanski made it clear that even though the Browns have a four-QB competition, they’re not treating them equally. Translation? There won’t be a clean 25% rep split. “It’s not going to be everybody gets 25 percent of the reps, that’s not how it’s gonna be,” Stefanski said. Rather than that, the Browns will give enough reps where they can learn more about their QBs.
“We want to give everybody enough reps where we can learn more about them and prepare them to get ready to play,” he said. The competition is going to be as fair as possible, and there’s no denying that. Now, if we look at day 2 of the OTAs, we’re back to square one. It’s either Flacco or Sanders. Why? See, besides both these guys, Pickett spent time talking with Sanders during the OTAs and completed 9 out of 16 passes with no TDs and no interceptions.
On the flip side, we’ve the rookie Gabriel. Ever since the draft week, or maybe before that, the NFL analysts have been buzzing about his height issues. “Dillon Gabriel, whose height has been an issue for scouts from the jump, is getting passes batted down already… leaving that door wide open for Shedeur Sanders,” Bleacher Report Insider John Frascella shared on social media.
As far as his performance at the OTAs is concerned, Gabriel managed to complete 11 of 16 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Long story short: if the topic is about the rookie QBs in Cleveland, the fifth-round pick is making a louder noise than Gabriel. Now, we’ll see how he manages to make his way through as the starting quarterback of the Browns, with Flacco gearing up to lead the team’s O-line.
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