Most of the coverage of the Cleveland Browns’ four-headed quarterback hydra of a race has been about how interesting it is or how it’s the first real quarterback battle in the NFL in years. However, some analysts now say it’s not a race but a red flag.
Are the Cleveland Browns Conducting a QB Competition or Creating Chaos?
Daryl Ruiter and Nick Pedone appeared on 92.3’s Weekend With the Fan and shared their frustrations with the Browns’ quarterback situation.
“We’re four practices in … I’m seeing a lot of red flags on the offensive side,” said Ruiter. “There are a lot of questions with the passing game. I don’t think this 4-man QB competition was the way to go.”
“We’re four practices in…I’m seeing a lot of red flags on the offensive side…There are a lot of questions with the passing game. I don’t think this 4-man QB competition was the way to go.”
@RuiterWrongFAN and @NickPedone12 on #Browns
Listen: https://t.co/FTuEVMCr5B pic.twitter.com/lFjqJOVVWU
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 27, 2025
“I agree with you,” said Pedone. “They put … every one of those individuals into a bad spot.”
The Browns found themselves in this position after a series of moves that seemed logical individually but created confusion when combined. Joe Flacco has been on the roster since he came off the couch in 2023 and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but he isn’t considered a long-term solution.
Deshaun Watson re-ruptured his Achilles tendon in January 2025, forcing Cleveland to consider other quarterback options. The Browns traded Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett in March 2025. Most analysts thought it was to give Pickett a chance to reestablish himself as a starter while Watson recovers from his torn Achilles.
Then, the Browns surprised everyone when they drafted Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round, when most analysts thought he would be a fifth or sixth-round pick. The team added another curveball when they drafted Shedeur Sanders, one of the most polarizing players in the draft over the last 40 years, in the fifth round.
What Are the Arguments for Each Quarterback?
The result has been a muddied situation without a clearly defined front-runner for the starting job. The debates have already begun among analysts about who deserves the nod.
Some analysts think Flacco will get the nod because of his experience and poise. The veteran proved he could still play at a high level during his remarkable 2023 comeback season.
Others point to Pickett as the logical choice because he could either be a caretaker quarterback or be like Sam Darnold and step up after not living up to his first-round pedigree. His familiarity with NFL systems gives him an edge over the rookies.
Meanwhile, some think the Browns should give Gabriel or Sanders the opportunity to start so the team can see what they have in them. The reasoning goes that if either of them turns out to be a franchise quarterback, then Cleveland could move on from Watson and use one of their two first-round draft picks on other positions in 2026.
So far, Pickett, Flacco, and Gabriel have all taken turns running the first offense in training camp. Sanders has been limited to leading the second team.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has been noncommittal about who is in the lead, but his assistants have said that all of the quarterbacks, especially the rookies, have been performing well.
The Browns open the preseason against the Carolina Panthers on August 8 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
