On ESPN Cleveland this morning, Tony Rizzo gave his thoughts on the Brown’s quarterback situation.
One of the biggest topics of the offseason for both local and national media has revolved around the Cleveland Browns and their unique quarterback situation.
Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 3rd-round pick Dillon Gabriel, and 5th-round pick Shedeur Sanders have spent the entire offseason competing for the starting quarterback spot, and it seems like everybody has a different view of how it’s going to play out in Northeast Ohio.
Pickett, Gabriel, and Flacco have gotten the bulk of 1st-team reps throughout the summer, with Sanders spending most of his time with the 2nd and 3rd-team units. To most, it looks like one of the most surprising aspects of it all has been the fact that Pickett has been the first quarterback on the field most of the time.
“I think Pickett has the chance first and I think they want to see Gabriel sooner rather than later,” – @TheRealTRizzo does NOT think the Browns actually have a true 4 man QB competition in training camp.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/Y0q479PPJd
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 22, 2025
“There are people still writing that the Browns have a four-man quarterback competition, I don’t believe it. I think Pickett has the chance first, I think they want to see Dillon Gabriel sooner rather than later. I do.”
Though some people out there believe that Flacco is still the No.1 guy, it would make sense for Pickett to be first and Gabriel to be second as of right now. This is the same order that the coaching staff has deployed them in throughout minicamp and OTAs.
“Now where Flacco fits in, I have no idea and Shedeur is just going to ride the pine. They don’t, they didn’t give him a chance against the 1st-team [defense] for a reason. I think that they don’t think that Shedeur is ready yet.
Everything is speculative right now, and there’s a chance that Rizzo is onto something here when it comes to Sanders.
If Kevin Stefanski and Co. doesn’t think that Sanders is ready either mentally or physically, they wouldn’t just throw him out there potentially stunting his development. If he doesn’t perform well against Denzel Ward and the rest of Cleveland’s starting secondary, it could cause him to lose confidence early on.
That’s certainly one thing that the Browns don’t want Shedeur Sanders to lose right now.
What are your thoughts on Cleveland’s quarterback situation? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.