Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is in a four-way competition. He insists it’s not a heated one.
“Everybody’s cool,” Sanders told FanDuel’s Kay Adams at the NFL Players Association rookie premiere on Wednesday. “Outside the room, people try to pit us against each other, but we know we are one.”
Still, it’s fair to wonder if that will change.
Along with Sanders (pick No. 144), the Browns selected rookie QB Dillon Gabriel (pick No. 94) in the 2025 NFL Draft. Before the draft, Cleveland traded for former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett and signed QB Joe Flacco.
Meanwhile, Browns QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles) may miss most of the season, even though he’s no longer in a walking boot, via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Per Cabot, the Browns will allow all four QBs to display their skills during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. This could carry over into training camp in July, but Bleacher Report’s James Palmer believes the team should solidify its plan beforehand.
“You can’t have four guys competing in training camp,” Palmer said on his live stream Wednesday. “[The Browns] know they need to figure something out before camp because there won’t be enough reps and time.”
Palmer added he believes Flacco will probably be the Week 1 starter, which makes sense. The Browns know they can lean on him.
During the 2023 season, the 40-year-old QB went 4-1 in five starts for Cleveland, helping it make the playoffs. For his efforts, he won Comeback Player of the Year.
If the Browns name Flacco QB1, Pickett — who has a 15-10 starting record in the regular season — could be the odd man out. Cleveland likely wouldn’t cut/trade Sanders or Gabriel, as they may have untapped potential.
Moving on from Pickett isn’t costly. According to Over the Cap, the Browns would incur a $2.62M cap hit if they cut him with a post-June 1 designation. Trading him with a post-June 1 designation would yield $2.62M in cap savings for Cleveland.
Don’t be surprised if the Browns’ QB room becomes less chummy over the course of competition, especially with Pickett possibly fighting for his job.
