Rookies have already reported to Training Camp, so former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders is working hard to try and earn his shot with the Cleveland Browns. But the QB competition will officially get started on Tuesday when veterans report.
It's a four-way battle for the starting QB job between Sanders, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. At least one of those quarterbacks will be the odd-man out and ultimately cut or traded, and possibly two. The Browns won't carry four quarterbacks this season, and may not even carry three.
Sanders and Gabriel will face an uphill battle to supplant the two veteran favorites. In a perfect world, the Browns will likely hand the ball to either Flacco or Pickett and then pick which of the two rookies they have the most faith in as the primary backup for the 2025 season.
Two Cleveland insiders don't give Shedeur Sanders a chance in Browns QB battle
ESPN's Tony Rizzo and Tony Grossi spoke on ESPN Cleveland on Monday, and while they both stated the competition is wide open, neither named Sanders as a legitimate contender for the job.
"I'm telling you that I believe that Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are the two guys that I'd be looking at right now to start this season," said Rizzo.
Grossi later stated he believes Pickett and Flacco are ahead of the rookies, and that Gabriel is ahead of Sanders at this point.
That's not exactly going out on a limb, considering Pickett and Flacco are veterans and the Browns drafted Gabriel two rounds earlier than they drafted Sanders back in April. But it does go to show the uphill battle facing Sanders to not only compete for the starting spot, but just a roster spot in general with the Browns.
It seems obvious that one of the veterans will be a cut casualty, but it might be difficult for the Browns to hold more than two QBs on the roster with the 53-man limit. If so, then the Browns could explore a trade of the former Colorado QB.
But Sanders will get his opportunity in Training Camp and preseason to show what he can do. For now, everything is all conjecture.