Since the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 after a four-year hiatus, they’ve had a rough go of it. And a big reason for that is their inability not only to identify talent at the quarterback position but also to stick with QBs and develop them afterward. Since 1999, they’ve started 40 different quarterbacks. The Chicago Bears have the second-most over that span — with just 30.
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Things have gotten even worse in recent years. Since 2021, the Browns have had 11 different players start a game at quarterback. Just last year, they had four… And the crazy thing is, none of those four will be part of their QB competition this summer.
Heading into 2025 training camp, the Browns have veteran Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. Obviously, Sanders is the biggest name in the bunch. Despite the fact that he was a fifth-round pick and will have to work up the depth chart, being in Cleveland means he still has a great chance at getting a start as a rookie, according to former NFL CB Chris Harris.
“I don’t think he starts out the gate. I think probably around Week 5, Week 4, you know, the Browns always have issues with quarterbacks. Whether injuries or they’re just not playing well. So I think during the season he’ll get a shot to play. It might not be immediately,” Harris expressed.
Harris, a Super Bowl 50 champion with the Denver Broncos back in 2015, says that Sanders not winning the job out of the gate might actually be good for him. It will allow him extra time to get used to the “speed of the game” while also getting a better handle on the new playbook.
“That might be good for him so he can learn the speed of the game. Understand this new offense, this new terminology, and get his feet wet a little bit. By Week 5 he should be ready to go.”
Will Shedeur Sanders be a starter this season?
Chris Harris Jr. says by Week 5 "he should be ready to go." 👀 @heykayadams | @ChrisHarrisJr pic.twitter.com/ImUOwElo45
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 6, 2025
As Kay Adams said in the above clip, Joe Flacco is currently the betting favorite to start Week 1 for Cleveland. Shedeur Sanders is a ways down at +370.
Flacco could start Week 1, but for a team looking to rebuild, a 40-year-old at QB isn’t ideal. Pickett seems to be a backup-level player as well, so by midway through the 2025 season, we believe it will either be Sanders or Gabriel starting for the Browns.
The two are very similar, with Sanders basically profiling as a bigger version of Gabriel. It seems that Browns veterans, such as CB Denzel Ward and TE David Njoku, have already thrown their lot in with Sanders. They gave him a warm welcome after he was drafted in the fifth, but conspicuously did not do the same for Gabriel the day before.
