The Cleveland Browns have struggled to find any sort of consistency at quarterback for decades.
Baker Mayfield didn’t turn out to be as good as they hoped, and trading for Deshaun Watson didn’t do anything to solve their woes.
If anything, it made them worse.
Now, the Browns are preparing for this season with four options at quarterback: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
While the names on that list might not seem exciting, there’s always the chance that one of the younger players will seize the job.
According to Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, that would be the best-case scenario for the Browns in 2025.
“A quarterback not named Joe Flacco emerges,” Ballentine wrote. “The Browns’ four-way quarterback competition might not be inspiring, but it will be riveting. The ceiling isn’t as high as it once was, so the best-case scenario for the unit is to come out of the 2025 season with a potential answer at quarterback in 2026. That could be Pickett, Sanders or Gabriel, but a full season with Flacco as the starter would be a depressing watch for Cleveland fans.”
This is not a jab at Flacco. He’s a proven veteran, but he’s in the final stage of his career, and they simply cannot afford to pin all their hopes on him.
At 40 years old, he’s not the long-term answer at the position, and though the Browns could look to the QB talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, it would be better to enter next season with one fewer need to address.
Gabriel, a rookie, and Pickett, entering his fourth NFL season, don’t seem to have the upside of being a star, leaving Sanders as the biggest hope for the future.
NEXT:
Stat Shows How Dominant Denzel Ward Has Been Since 2023
