The Cleveland Browns still have plenty of time to figure out who their Week 1 starting quarterback is going to be, which is great because they might need every possible day since there are four members of this QB competition.
Much of the attention is on rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, who is currently fourth on the depth chart but will undoubtedly have many fans calling for him to be inserted into the starting lineup as soon as one of the other three QBs starts showing any signs of weakness.
Browns legend Hanford Dixon is already one of those fans, as he recently made a big prediction about Sanders on an episode of The Hanford Dixon Show.
“I think before long Shedeur is going to show everybody that he is the man,” Dixon said.
It’s Shedeur Sanders time. #DawgPound
“You guys already know who I think is going to take over.”
Presented by @smartchoicewin_ https://t.co/X2IWJiKYUJ pic.twitter.com/t1S56fWXRk
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) June 14, 2025
This may very well be the case, and there’s a solid chance he starts at some point during this upcoming season, but it shouldn’t be Week 1.
Starting a fifth-round rookie in Week 1 coming off a 3-14 season would be coaching malpractice, especially when that rookie got destroyed behind a middling offensive line in college last season and had issues holding onto the ball too long.
That’s a recipe for disaster when coupled with the fact that Cleveland quarterbacks were sacked 66 times last season.
Cleveland’s early-season schedule is brutal as well, so it would be shocking to not see either Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett open the season as the starter.
With two first-round picks in a loaded QB draft in 2026, Cleveland needs to figure out if it has its franchise QB on the roster in 2025.
That’s a huge goal for this upcoming season, and that question will only get answered if Sanders and Dillon Gabriel see the field at some point.
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