Seriously, all NFL media has to thank the Cleveland Browns for their four-way quarterback battle this offseason. It has fed us with plenty of content and this time is no different. Kenny Pickett started to gain some terrain against Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, but then suffered an injury. Now, the head coach Kevin Stefanski has given an update regarding Pickett’s health.
Speaking before Friday’s practice, Stefanski was somewhat cryptic on his response regarding Pickett’s status. “Obviously disappointed that he’s not full go, but he’s very much involved in everything we’re doing,” Stefanski said. Next week, the Browns will have joint practices with the Carolina Panthers. Stefanski’s answer leaves the door half-open, half-closed regarding Pickett’s status.
The Browns quarterback battle has seen many updates but it’s Stefanski the one in charge of actually choosing who the starter will be. It all points to veteran Joe Flacco leading the charge, though Pickett was getting his fair share of first-team reps.
What is Shedeur’s status?
Shedeur Sanders is not doing precisely great. First and foremost, he’s had a couple of mishaps out of footballing activity with the law, something that has been reported wasn’t taken nicely by the front office. Not only that, his larger-than-life persona is somewhat distracting and polarizing. On the field, he’s had good and bad days, but his first-team reps have decreased.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski talks to quarterback Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 26, 2025 in Berea, Ohio.
In fact, it would seem as other rookie Dillon Gabriel is also ahead of Shedeur on the depth chart. Gabriel is a much lower profile rookie and while his intangibles aren’t as scrutinized as Shedeur’s, he has shown Cleveland he is there to work and earn his place.
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Browns owner Jimmy Haslam turns heads after revealing who made the call to draft Shedeur Sanders
The Browns quarterbacks are on a short leash
Let’s not be naive. Whoever earns the starting spot is walking on a tight rope. As soon as the mistakes begin, the coaching staff might look for the next man up. That until they find who gives the team the best chance to win NFL games. The fact that Flacco is projected to start is no guarantee that he’ll end the season still as QB1.
That means, even if you’re first or last on the depth chart, depending on how it goes, you could still end up having plenty of in-season snaps. The saying goes “if you have two quarterbacks, then you have none.” Well, the Browns have four so Stefanski has plenty to analize to pick his guy come Week 1.
