Entering the 2025 season, one of the more surprising things HC Kevin Stefanski did was fill his QB room for options. Great idea, until that choice became a problem. Cleveland’s not keeping all four QBs by the end of the training camp that begins next week. And with a tag of a fifth-day pick, Shedeur Sanders seemingly has the most to prove. While he didn’t get any first-team reps yet, his work in the Browns minicamps and OTAs has impressed enough. Although not the Week-1 starter yet, he has proven that he can challenge his fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel and deserves to be on the final roster. Here is their stat comparison from 2 OTA practices in Berea:

ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi already mentioned, “My opinion, Shedeur Sanders really did stand out. All of those skills that we talked about pre-draft–the poise, the accuracy from the pocket–we saw that.” Carrying the momentum, Sanders even turned Miami into his lab this summer. Working twice weekly with mentor since middle school, QB Coach Darrell Colbert Jr., the 144th overall pick is focusing on advanced timing, placement, and footwork. No doubt, Shedeur is all-business entering the training camp. But how long exactly till he finds his place on the first spot? ESPN’s Kevin Clark has some thoughts.

ESPN’s Get Up crew recently sat down and discussed the rookie report. Peter Schrager asked Clark, “We’ve been talking about Shedeur since before the drafts. Kevin, what scenario for you is it where the Browns say ‘Yes, Shedeur Sanders, you are our starter?'” Clark simply suggested, “The number one thing any Cleveland Browns quarterback should do and has done who wanted to start is just wait. The quarterbacks in front of you will fail or cycle out, age out, whatever you want to call it.

“You have Joe Flacco there, who shouldn’t be that hard to beat over the course of a season. You have Dillon Gabriel, who’s a third-round pick, who I don’t think is particularly good. You might be able to beat him out in training camp if you do the work, look good in practice, drive the speed limit, which is important, that’s job one for Shedeur Sanders after getting in trouble a couple weeks ago. But if I’m him, I just keep my head down, do my job, wait for November, December. You will get your opportunity. That is the history of Cleveland Browns starting quarterback.”

It’s worth noting that the NFL insider isn’t picking Kenny Pickett as Shedeur’s competitor. Interestingly, for many, Pickett could be the choice Stefanski goes with if Flacco doesn’t work out. For Sanders, though, it’s the 40-year-old Flacco and the rookie Gabriel. In the OTAs and minicamps, Flacco completed 51.4% passes (18/35) with 2 TDs and zero interceptions. At the same time, Gabriel finished with 57.8% completions (48/83), eight TDs, and again zero picks.

Taken all together, the former Colorado quarterback is on the right path to secure a starting job. But don’t expect him to start in week 1. Nope. Shedeur will have to wait before getting an opportunity to start. That said, we just have to see if Kevin Stefanski is on board with Shedeur as the Browns’ QB1 or not, which, at this point, is unlikely.

Kevin Stefanski might not start with Shedeur Sanders

Last season’s quarterbacking left a scar on Kevin Stefanski’s head coaching role. Deshaun Watson went down with an injury that still keeps him out of the starting role this season, and by the time the 2024 season wrapped up, Jameis Winston was already down to 2-5. So, when Stefanski brought Flacco on the roster, you could feel that the head coach just doesn’t want raw anymore. He wants reliability.

Which is precisely why the former Chiefs guard Kyle Long believes that Flacco will emerge victorious in this quarterback race, despite having rookies like Shedeur Sanders in the mix. “Joe Flacco is the oil business,” he observed. “These young men are going to get spit out the a– end of an oil rig, and Joe Flacco will emerge victorious.” It sounds like a prophecy from one veteran for another veteran.

Shedeur is talented, no doubt. He led Jackson State and Colorado ever since he started his collegiate career, has a 36-14 record, over 14K yards, and a Prime Time last name. But Flacco? He’s 40 years old and is approaching the twilight of his career, but not to mention that he still wants to play at a high level. When Stefanski brought Flacco back to Berea, it wasn’t a panic move—it was a calculated bet on experience.

The 40-year-old had just led a playoff charge in 2023, posting a 13–8 TD-to-INT ratio and proving he still had command in the pocket. With that résumé, it’s no surprise that even a Chiefs legend backed Flacco to steer the Browns through the storm. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders is unlikely to start week 1. He could get an opportunity to start later in the season, but for the time being, Flacco seems to be the QB1.