Who's The Favorite To Be Browns' Week 1 Starting QB?

The Cleveland Browns will enter OTAs and training camp with a muddied situation at quarterback. Following a setback to Deshaun Watson that likely ends his controversial career in Cleveland, general manager Andrew Berry acquired four quarterbacks this offseason. Berry traded for Kenny Pickett, reunited with Joe Flacco in free agency, and selected Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Browns recently hosted rookie minicamp. Support is already running rampant for Gabriel and Sanders, who will constantly be compared to one another. The Browns will want to receive an extended look at their rookie quarterbacks at some point, but entering the campaign with Flacco as their Week 1 starter qualifies as the likeliest outcome.

The Browns signed Flacco as insurance in case they didn't land their primary target at quarterback in the draft. Berry obviously wasn't infatuated with the secondary QB options after Cam Ward went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans. Berry traded out of the second selection and didn't draft a signal-caller until the third round (Gabriel) before doubling down with Sanders in the fifth.

The Browns should enter training camp with a fairly open mind, evenly splitting QB reps as much as possible. It would simply be shocking if Flacco didn't emerge as the most prepared option to begin the regular-season campaign as the starter. Gabriel and Sanders will be learning a new offense while navigating their first NFL training camp. Despite the fanfare surrounding their selections, in-house expectations will be lowered by their actual draft slots (Nos. 94 and 144 overall).

There will be no immediate pressure to insert Sanders or Gabriel into the lineup.

Pickett would be Cleveland's least inspiring option. A first-round bust, he's joining his third organization in as many seasons. Pickett was the first quarterback acquired by Cleveland this offseason via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, he's already been passed over on the depth chart by Flacco.

Flacco's built-in chemistry with head coach Kevin Stefanski offers him a huge advantage. Flacco first joined the Browns in 2023 following a late-season injury to Watson. He led the Browns on a dreamlike run, going 4-1 as the starter while leading them to an unlikely postseason berth en route to NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

It's worth noting Flacco wasn't as impactful with the Indianapolis Colts last campaign. For him to claim the starting gig in Cleveland, he'll need to prove 2024 was an anomaly while picking up where he left off under Stefanski. If that happens, he should easily fend off early-season competition from Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders.

The Browns aren't rebuilding. They possess an interest in competing for the playoffs within the competitive AFC North. The 40-year-old Flacco obviously isn't a long-term solution, but he gives Cleveland the best chance to win games early in 2025. Stefanski and Berry must give Sanders and/or Gabriel an extended look at some point, but Flacco should be considered the overwhelming favorite to be named Stefanski's Week 1 starter.