Andrew Buller-Russ
The Cleveland Browns have had an interesting competition brewing all throughout training camp. Sure, thanks to head coach Kevin Stefanski, we now know that Joe Flacco will be the team’s starting quarterback when Week 1 kicks off.
But who will be the backup quarterback in Cleveland? Considering the Browns are moving forward with a 40-year-old quarterback who only played six games last season, the Browns will need to be prepared for every scenario.
Of course, the Browns have several contenders, from former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and even fifth-round standout Shedeur Sanders. The Browns even added one-time Pro Bowl QB Tyler Huntley after injuries struck, but he has since been released.
While the Browns have yet to make an official announcement and their depth chart won’t be released until after Tuesday, when the 53-man roster cuts are made, someone will emerge as the No. 2 QB in Cleveland.
Yet, according to former NFL stars Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Shannon Sharpe, believe that coach Stefanski set Gabriel up to thrive while putting Sanders in a position to fail.
Holy Sh*t: Former NFL stars T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson, and Shannon Sharpe CALL OUT Kevin Stefanski for rigging things to make Dillion Gabriel look better while Shedeur Sanders played with players who are all going to be cut.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 24, 2025
Sanders deserves to be treated better…💔😔 pic.twitter.com/l5WlOPBinc
While that seems like an incredibly odd way for a head coach to conduct his business, perhaps it’s worth noting that Johnson and Houshmandzadeh both played for the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the Browns’ AFC North division rivals. Meanwhile, Sharpe spent time with another rival, the Baltimore Ravens.
In other words, are these former rivals trying to badmouth one of their former competitors, even if they never actually played against coach Stefanski or any of the current Browns players?
Coach Stefanski doesn’t appreciate the accusation; he’s already responded to the media to deny these claims.
“Obviously I don’t concern myself with outside types of things. But I’m committed to his development just like all of our rookies. So we’ll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that’s what we’ll stay committed to and what’s important to me.”
Kevin Stefanski on Shedeur Sanders
Besides, it just doesn’t make sense for a head coach to sabotage one of his own players. Those are the types of moves that get a guy fired.
Related: Hall of Famer: NFL Told Teams Not to Draft Shedeur Sanders
