Most assume Joe Flacco leads the Browns QB competition over Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders
Whether the Cleveland Browns are competitive in 2025 will largely depend on the Myles Garrett-led defense and whether the team gets competent quarterback play. With four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, Browns training camp will mostly be focused there.
Shedeur Sanders continues to get a lot of attention, including for his positive role off the field in the community, but, along with Dillon Gabriel, the rookies will need to put in a lot of extra work if they are going to win the job. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett should have a leg up in the QB competition based on their experience.
With that in mind, Flacco did not get a share of reps during mandatory minicamp that was open to the media. While that was by design, since the veteran is in his 18th season, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted that Flacco has to trust HC Kevin Stefanski given the lower reps:
Doing it this way requires some trust on Flacco’s part, but he and Stefanski have had a good rapport, and that’s why I’d regard this almost as a first-round bye in the Browns quarterback derby. It’d be hard to enter the summer with all four guys on level ground and let them compete while also getting the other 10 guys in the offensive huddle ready to play an NFL season.
Giving Flacco “a first-round bye” does make some sense. Stefanski and the Browns have a good idea of what they would get from their former playoff starting quarterback, despite some changes to the offense with OC Tommy Rees.
Do you think Flacco has a leg up on the competition or just didn’t need to throw much in the Spring?