After QB Joe Flacco pushed the Cleveland Browns for the 2023 playoffs, the next season with Deshaun Watson at the helm was supposed to be their year. It is safe to say, though, they went from a playoff team to almost unwatchable. The offense crumbled under pressure, and the defense failed. And so, the 2025 season became a rebounding year. Flacco was brought back with two rookie QBs behind him. However, headlines have now turned to the Browns searching for their franchise QB in the 2026 NFL draft. That, in itself, has raised doubts among Browns fans. For a locker room looking to improve its 3-14 record, HC Kevin Stefanski not locking his focus on this season might become a problem.

During his Wednesday appearance on 92.3 Fans, Albert Breer explained, “For Kevin Stefanski and his staff to maintain the trust of the locker room, they’re going to have to give those guys the best shot to win week to week. Like, you can’t wave the white flag on a season and expect to hold on to the locker room. So, on a week-to-week basis, they’re going out and trying to win games, but yeah, there’s a planning element to it.”

So, Kevin has little to no room left for experimentation. He must deliver. And that’s one of the reasons why he opted to go with the trusted hands of a 40-year-old veteran as QB1. Flacco proved himself when he was brought in for the 2023 season, and so, he already understands the Browns’ offense.

Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, on the other hand, proved that his playing for different offenses in college was helpful during the Browns camps and preseason games. Both showed sharper huddle command and steadier game management than Sanders, who was still adjusting to the NFL speed.

Stefanski’s decision to keep Sanders as the third string wasn’t personal but purely performance-based. Sanders looked promising against Carolina in the preseason games but crumbled against the Rams, completing just 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards while absorbing five sacks. His pocket drift and slow processing speed became obvious weaknesses that NFL defenses exploited ruthlessly. But when it comes to making either of them a franchise QB, the choice is clear.

As Albert Breer put it, the depth chart speaks for itself: “How often does a third-round pick or a fifth-round pick become your franchise quarterback? I mean it’s pretty self-explanatory looking at a depth chart where you see a 40-year-old as a starter and then you see two rookies that were drafted outside of the top 80 picks. Chances are, they’re going to be looking for a quarterback first round of the draft in April.”

That reality hit even harder once the Browns shipped Kenny Pickett to the Raiders. On paper, the move looked like a vote of confidence in the two rookies. In practice, it opened a path to early playing time if things unravel. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com noted that the leash on Flacco will be shorter than many expect. If turnovers or sacks pile up, Gabriel is the first in line. For a 94th overall pick, that’s as close to a golden ticket as it gets.

But here’s the twist, Cabot added that Sanders, while raw, will get some live action this season, but probably not until later in the season when he’s more seasoned. That phrasing suggests the Browns view him as more than just a clipboard-holder. He may not be ready for September, but December? That’s a different conversation. And if Flacco falters, or if Gabriel can’t translate preseason flashes into real Sundays, the Sanders drumbeat could get louder by the week.

Still, if this season goes down, the Browns have already deployed scouts in college football games. With two first-round draft picks in 2026, it only makes sense for Stefanski and Co. to look for their franchise QB in next year’s NFL draft. While Cabot stated that this is part of the NFL and Sanders or Gabriel should be prepared for being tossed out, the Sanders fans aren’t as versatile.

Shedeur Sanders faces a reality check

Joe Thomas stepped into the Shedeur Sanders controversy with both feet. He defended Cleveland’s quarterback hierarchy against critics who think conspiracy theories explain Sanders’ placement. The Browns Hall of Famer dismissed claims that Sanders faces systematic sabotage from NFL decision-makers or coaching staffs. Thomas believes Sanders supporters lack perspective about professional football’s developmental timeline and the competitive realities of his third-string role.

Thomas addressed the so-called “Shedeur Sanders cult” directly during his appearance on Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich. He explained why conspiracy theories make zero sense from a business perspective. “The reality of the NFL Draft is that you have 32 teams that all want to beat each other, and so they’re not conspiring together to sabotage somebody who, by the way, would be great for the league. And he is great for the league, because the league wants eyeballs. They want people watching their games, they want these great personalities, and so there is no reason — there is no reason they would be trying to conspire against him and sabotage him.

“Actually, the opposite. They want to promote a guy like that because he is so great for the league. They just believe that we’re morons for not being able to see that this guy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the greatest quarterback since Tom Brady, and he’s ready right now to be able to elevate the franchise to their first Super Bowl of all time, and we’re the idiots for not seeing it,” Thomas explained bluntly.

Sanders himself has leaned into patience rather than pressure. In preseason interviews, he stressed gratitude over entitlement. Moreover, after the preseason finale against the Rams, he was more than ready to learn from the failure than let it get to him. That mindset will serve him well in Cleveland. As veteran Joe pointed out, the Browns see Sanders’ potential, but they also know development can’t be rushed.