Shedeur Sanders is undoubtedly the most popular QB in Cleveland, but the former Colorado star faces an uphill battle in the QB competition.
Not only does Sanders have to compete against veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, a couple of former first-round picks with starting experience, and in Flacco's case, a Super Bowl ring, he has to compete against a fellow rookie whom the Browns drafted two full rounds ahead of him.
Sanders impressed in mandatory minicamp, but with Training Camp getting started, the QB battle is about to get real. He'll have his chances with live reps in camp and in the preseason, but it's going to be a challenge for him to earn either the QB1 or QB2 spot in Cleveland.
A former Browns executive assessed the QB competition on X, offering his insights.
Former Browns CEO Joe Banner believes Dillon Gabriel is ahead of Shedeur Sanders
Joe Banner is privy to some inside information. He's a former NFL executive, serving as the President of the Philadelphia Eagles for 17 years before spending two years as the Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Browns. He also spent two years as a consultant with the Atlanta Falcons.
Count him as another who doesn't buy any of the hype surrounding Sanders.
Browns people I talk to and now some media starting to say as I said earlier. Despite some networks obsession with Sanders so far some with the Browns are more excited about Gabriel.
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) July 22, 2025
That's not exactly a stunning revelation. The Browns drafted Gabriel in the third round and Sanders in the fifth; that showed more of a belief in the former Oregon QB. Sanders was considered by most objective analysts to be the No. 2 QB in the draft class behind only Miami's Cam Ward, but he suffered one of the most stunning free-falls in the history of the NFL Draft.
The talent that made draft experts believe Sanders was worthy of a first-round pick is still there. He was unbelievable with the Buffaloes the last two seasons, despite consistently running for his life behind porous offensive lines. And yet, he was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football, completing 74% of his passes last season.
Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is likely to be the starter, at least at the beginning of the season. Cleveland will likely go with either Flacco or Pickett, with the veteran who loses the battle likely getting cut.
Gabriel and Sanders will compete for the backup job, and what happens to the loser of that battle remains to be seen. The Browns won't want to cut one of their draft picks so early, so their draft strategy likely points to them carrying three quarterbacks on the active roster.
Training Camp gets started this week, and the Browns open up preseason on the road against the Panthers on August 8th.