There might not be a more interesting positional battle in all of football than in Cleveland. The fight for QB1 of the Browns will certainly get its fair share of attention as an unprecedented four quarterbacks are competing for the job.
The favorite to open Week 1 as the starter is Joe Flacco, but he certainly isn’t a long-term option, and the plan is for him to be a bridge to a young quarterback, but what quarterback will that be? Kenny Pickett is the highest-drafted among the other three, but he is now on his third team in three seasons. Dillon Gabriel was a third-round pick by the Browns this year, but he is limited due to his lack of size and overall arm strength.
That leaves Shedeur Sanders, arguably the most talented quarterback of the group, who was picked up in the fifth round by the Browns. Does he have a legitimate chance of being the opening day starter for the Browns? That is starting to become a popular take over the last few weeks.
PFF predicts Shedeur Sanders to win Browns' QB competition
In a recent article by Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus, he looked at some of the top quarterback battles happening across the NFL going into the 2025 season. Of course, that included the Cleveland Browns, and he predicted that Sanders would ultimately win the job. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on why Sanders could wind up as the starter in Cleveland:
"Narratives or outside optics won’t matter too much to the Browns; the goal is purely to put the most talented quarterback under center. And even if none of their options project to be the long-term answer, Sanders could be the starter for 2025. Draft order notwithstanding, he is the most talented quarterback on the roster. He has reportedly impressed in OTAs, and while there will be some noise regarding how he found his way to the team, his talent is undeniable."Thomas Valentine, Pro Footbal Focus
We can all debate why Sanders fell in the 2025 NFL Draft and whether that was ultimately right or wrong. However, if he ends up being the best quarterback on the roster for the Browns, they are certainly going to play him. Cleveland is searching for answers at the position, and if Sanders ends up being the best option, there is no reason not to give him the reins to the offense.
It's hard to know what to believe when it comes to who is performing well and who isn’t during OTAs and minicamps because there are no pads and everything is at half-speed, but it sure doesn’t seem like Sanders has disappointed yet. If that continues throughout training camp and the preseason, the Browns might not have any choice but to lean on Sanders moving forward.
It’s been a long time since a Day 3 pick won a starting quarterback job out of the gate, but Sanders isn’t your usual late-round pick. Don’t be shocked if he ends up on the field sooner rather than later for the Browns. He is the most talented quarterback on the roster and an A+ fit in Kevin Stefanski's offense. There is little doubt we will see him on the field at some point; the only question is when that will be. Week 1 is becoming more likely by the day.