Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2025 win totals. Up first: the Browns.
It’s tough to recall the last time an NFL team had four quarterbacks competing for the starting job. It’s even harder to remember a quarterback battle as popular as the one taking place with the Cleveland Browns.
Veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are all in the mix to be under center come Week 1 when the Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns and coach Kevin Stefanski also have other problems beyond who’s going to be throwing to wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman.
Star edge rusher Myles Garrett needs all the help he can get on the defensive front, especially after linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was lost for the season due to a neck injury that forced the team to place him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
On the bright side, the Browns added defensive reinforcements through the draft, selecting linebacker Carson Schwesinger in the second round and defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5.
Let’s take a closer look at the Browns as they attempt to rebound from a dreadful 3–14 season in 2024.
What’s at stake this season: Finding a franchise quarterback
The Browns are having open tryouts to find a quarterback this season after finally admitting that the trade and fully guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson was a monumental mistake.
It’s as if the team wanted to increase the odds by adding as many signal-callers as possible, including drafting Gabriel and Sanders in the third and fifth rounds, respectively. It’s not the worst first approach as the team attempts to move on from the injured Watson and maneuver around his massive contract, which weakened the roster the past few seasons. (That doesn’t even include the three first-round picks Cleveland relinquished to the Houston Texans.)
Teams with multiple quarterbacks competing in the summer usually don’t end up in the playoffs. That might not be bad for the Browns in the long run. If they land a top-five pick in next year’s draft, perhaps that could be the best path forward from the Watson debacle. They also have an extra first-rounder in 2026 after trading down from No. 2 to take the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pick to select Graham.
Biggest question going into training camp: Who will win the starting QB job?
The Browns are set up for the 2026 draft with the two first-round picks, but they still have a season to play, and it’s hard to believe they’ll tank and waste one of Garrett’s prime years after handing him a massive four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason.
In order to be competitive this season, though, Cleveland needs one of the four quarterbacks to step up and run away with the job this summer. In a perfect world, Sanders or Gabriel ends up being the best man for the job.
There’s no better situation for rebuilding an organization than knowing that the rookie starting quarterback is the real deal. It happened for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders within the first month last season. However, Sanders and Gabriel weren’t considered first-round prospects, which explains why both were available after the first two rounds.
As for Pickett, he was selected in the first round in 2022 but struggled to find his footing with the Pittsburgh Steelers before getting a reset season as a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles in ’24. A change of scenery could lead to Pickett becoming the next so-called first-round bust to thrive elsewhere. And it’s hard to believe that Flacco can deliver a season as good as his five-game stretch for the Browns two years ago, a run which won him Comeback Player of the Year.
Sources are saying: Gabriel off to a fast start
According to those who watch Browns’ practice daily, Gabriel had the better first month compared to Sanders, who received plenty of attention for his draft slide after many considered him to be the second-best prospect behind Cam Ward, the Tennessee Titans’ No. 1 pick. How a rookie quarterback performs in the offseason program might not mean anything by the time training camp rolls around.
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: RB Quinshon Judkins
Whoever wins the starting job will have an uphill battle to get this roster headed in the right direction. Judkins, the 2025 second-round pick, can make life easier for the entire offense as a physical running back who was highly productive in three collegiate seasons, including two at Ole Miss before winning a national championship at Ohio State last season.
Judkins can keep the team ahead of the sticks and close games in the fourth quarter. He recently told Sports Illustrated that he’s a complete running back who wants to change the culture in Cleveland.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking
No. 28: Stefanski (19) and Flacco (31)
It’s impossible to believe in the Browns’ quarterback situation. Going into training camp, they have Pickett, Flacco, Gabriel and Sanders all fighting for the top job. While the ideal outcome is Sanders or Gabriel looking great and winning the battle, Flacco has a history with Stefanski, not to mention almost two decades of experience. It’s his job to lose. —Matt Verderame
Fantasy pick: Judkins
He is in a great position to make a Year 1 fantasy impact. He’ll replace Nick Chubb atop the depth chart, and it is a good bet to see 250-plus touches in a running back-friendly offense. Based on his current average draft position (ADP), Judkins could be a middle-round steal. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: Under 5.5 wins (-145) via FanDuel
It’s hard to trust the Browns in any capacity from a betting standpoint this season. With no clear quarterback, few offensive weapons, and a defense that looked like a shell of its former self last season, taking the under on their 5.5-win total seems like the only logical option. They also play in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. —Iain McMillan
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Browns Searching for Franchise QB.