The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition is one of the biggest storylines during NFL training camp. Many around the league are keeping an eye on how Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Kenny Pickett are performing this season as they battle for spots on the depth chart.
It’s still early in the process, as Browns training camp started just a few days ago. However, developments from practices so far continue to point toward a clear direction in the competition.
Let’s dive into the latest reporting on the four quarterbacks and where they stand on the Browns’ depth chart early in training camp.
QB1: Joe Flacco
If the regular season started on Sunday, Joe Flacco would likely be the Browns’ starting quarterback in Week 1. In his latest mailbag, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said he still views Flacco as the clear leader in the battle. Part of that is reportedly because the veteran has “resonated with his teammates” and his familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system.
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Zac Jackson of The Athletic backed up another part of Breer’s rationale, reporting from training camp that Flacco “sometimes takes fewer reps because he’s the most experienced of the group.” Not only does Flacco have more experience than the other Browns’ quarterbacks, but reports from minicamp and OTAs noted he’s the more physically gifted quarterback. All signs point to Flacco being named the Browns’ starting quarterback for the regular-season opener.
QB2: Kenny Pickett
The reality of the situation in Cleveland is that this is a two-man battle to be the starting quarterback in Week 1. Flacco holds the early lead, but former first-round pick Kenny Pickett is receiving every opportunity to prove himself. The Athletic‘s Browns reporter Zac Jackson counted nine reps in 7-on-7 drills for Pickett and 14 in competitive 11-on-11 situations (seven called passes) for Pickett through the first two days of camp, whereas Flacco received nine and five reps, respectively.
Pickett is also building his relationships with some prominent members of the Browns’ locker room. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported that Pickett has “developed a strong on-field rapport” with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, whom he trained with this offseason. The Browns coaching staff is giving Pickett a few more reps so he can start to gain more confidence in Stefanski’s system. While he’s currently behind Flacco, Pickett is the one quarterback with a real chance at taking the job from the 40-year-old veteran.
QB3: Dillon Gabriel
One thing that’s very evident from reporting throughout OTAs, minicamp, and training camp is that Dillon Gabriel is ahead of Shedeur Sanders on the Browns’ depth chart. Cleveland’s third-round pick received more 11-on-11 reps than Sanders through the first two practices of training camp (The Athletic), and that tracks with practice reps observed in June.
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There are a few reasons for this. First, Gabriel was a third-round pick whom it was widely known the Browns coaching staff wanted. Gabriel received first-team reps during the offseason workout programs and, according to Judy Bastista of NFL Network, he earned even more opportunities after impressing the coaching staff with his processing speed. Gabriel is currently the rookie standing out the most, and if Cleveland trades Kenny Pickett in August, as some around the league believe is possible, Gabriel would likely become Joe Flacco’s backup.
QB4: Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders didn’t do himself any favors in his first summer as a rookie quarterback with a pair of speeding violations. When your off-field actions force the general manager who picked you to tell reporters, “Not smart. Just not smart,” you’re immediately putting yourself in an early hole. That’s not something the fifth-round pick could afford to do when he enters the offseason fourth on the Browns’ depth chart.
It cost him, with ESPN reporting that Sanders didn’t receive a single rep with the first-team offense in practices open to the media. The former Colorado quarterback has made a positive impression on the team on the field and in the locker room, but it’s evident he finds himself well behind Dillon Gabriel right now, and there are no first-team reps in his immediate future.
