The Cleveland Browns’ never-ending quarterback saga just added another twist, and this time it ends with a familiar face under center. Joe Flacco, the 40-year-old Super Bowl MVP and last season’s Comeback Player of the Year, has officially been named the Browns’ starting quarterback for Week 1. And while that news isn’t exactly shocking, it does raise some big questions: what happens to the rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and where does Kenny Pickett fit into all this chaos?
NFL.com reports that not long ago, the plan in Cleveland, Ohio, was simple, well, as simple as it ever gets for a franchise that has cycled through quarterbacks like some people go through phone chargers. The Browns brought in Flacco and Pickett, with the idea that Pickett might push the veteran in a real competition. Add in third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders, and it looked like a wide-open race. For a moment, it felt like we were about to see an actual quarterback battle play out in The Land.
Then reality, and a mess of soft-tissue injuries, happened. Pickett went down with a hamstring injury just as camp was heating up. Gabriel has been working through his own hamstring tightness. Sanders impressed early but then suffered an oblique strain that kept him out of the second preseason game. By the time the Browns squared off against the Eagles on Saturday, the focus wasn’t on who was throwing the best passes, but whether anyone besides Flacco could actually stay healthy.
Joe Flacco Is Cleveland’s QB1 for Now
So Stefanski and the Browns front office did what they had to do: they went with the guy who’s durable, proven, and knows the system. Flacco not only stayed healthy throughout camp, but he also looked sharp as the reps increased. With a brutal early-season schedule, five of their first six games are against playoff teams, including the Bengals and Ravens right out of the gate, it makes sense to lean on experience. This isn’t a time to roll the dice on an untested rookie. Still, the real intrigue is what happens next.
Gabriel and Sanders weren’t drafted to ride the bench forever. Gabriel even got some first-team reps in Pickett’s absence, which hints that the Browns are at least curious to see what he can do. Sanders, meanwhile, hasn’t had the same opportunities but flashed enough in his debut to make fans wonder if he could be the long-term answer. And then there’s Pickett, the supposed challenger who suddenly looks more like a trade candidate if Flacco holds the job and the rookies show progress.
Kevin Stefanski hasn’t tipped his hand, but he did say last week that the Browns are “obsessed with player development.” That might mean Cleveland will keep all four quarterbacks on the roster, at least for now. It’s unusual, but when has anything about this team’s quarterback room ever been normal?
What Is Next for the Rookies?
In a way, this anticlimactic “competition” might be the best-case scenario. The Cleveland Browns have stability in Flacco, depth with Pickett, and potential with Gabriel and Sanders. Compared to last season’s chaos, that’s progress.
The real question is how long this arrangement lasts. If Flacco starts hot and the Browns survive their brutal opening stretch, the rookies will stay on the sidelines soaking up lessons. But if the offense sputters or the losses pile up, expect fans to start clamoring for one of the young guys to get a shot. Cleveland has been waiting decades for a homegrown quarterback to step up. Could Gabriel or Sanders be the one?
For now, the Joe Flacco era continues, at least until someone else is ready (or forced) to take over. Browns fans know better than anyone: the QB carousel never stops spinning in Cleveland, Ohio.
