It’s tough to get a gauge on who is in the lead in the four-man quarterback competition in Cleveland, as the Browns have brought in four newcomers to replace Deshaun Watson, who is likely out for 2025 with a twice-torn Achilles.
The most surprising addition to the QB room is third-round pick Dillon Gabriel, who was selected a few rounds earlier in the 2025 draft than many expected and has been a bit of a forgotten man in this competition over the first few months of his Browns tenure.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi shared on X Saturday that he kept track of how many sets of team drills each QB received during Week 1 of training camp, and he counted that Gabriel received the most reps with 12 of the 42 overall sets, followed by Kenny Pickett with 11, Shedeur Sanders with 10, and Joe Flacco with nine.
I kept track of how many sets of team drills each Browns QB received through Week 1 of training camp. I think it will be a good sense of how the staff is prioritizing the QB battle as time goes on.
By my unofficial count, Cleveland ran 42 sets of team drills (11v11, 7v7,…
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) July 26, 2025
The reps are likely too close to mean anything, and it’s possible Gabriel got the most reps because he needs them the most, while Flacco got the fewest because he played in this offense two years ago and is 40 years old.
The Week 1 starting job will likely come down to either Pickett or Flacco due to how difficult the team’s early-season schedule is.
It would be an aggressive move to start a third or fifth-round rookie in Week 1 on the heels of a 3-14 season where the offensive line gave up 66 sacks, but it’s entirely possible the rookies will see time later in the season for the front office and coaching staff to get a better idea of whether or not either of them can be a franchise QB.
Gabriel has been the forgotten man amongst this group, but his play can’t be ignored.
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Browns Make Surprise Signing To Bolster Backfield