Browns' HC Drops Cryptic Update on QB Situation

The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition is about to start heating up with OTAs underway out in Berea.

While head coach Kevin Stefanski and company have remained adamant that they'll be conducting a fair, open competition for the starting job during the months ahead, that doesn't mean there isn't an early leader in the clubhouse.

Stefanski gave credence to that exact fact during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan's Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, Friday.

"Yeah, I'm not willing to tell you," joked Stefanski when he was asked to disclose who has a leg up in the QB battle right now.

As things stand, the Browns QB room consists of 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, taken in the fifth and third rounds of this year's draft, respectively.

Some recent reporting suggests embattled QB Deshaun Watson is on a mission to join the conversation as well, although right now he's still rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles.

While the idea of Watson potentially seeing the field sparked plenty of controversy this week, though, Cleveland's head man seemed to send a cryptic message about Watson's actual status in the Browns QB competition as he elaborated on his answer.

"I had an event down at the stadium, whatever it was, a week or so ago, a flag football event for young kids, and I got the quarterback question only 30 times or so from the kids," said Stefanski. Asked if the kids seemed to have a favorite QB, Stefanski shared a curious response.

"No, I think it's more, 'Hey, you got four of them who's starting?' I said, you know, 'it's early, guys, let's, let's get through the offseason before we get there.'"

The fact that he only referenced four quarterbacks is interesting, to say the least. Given how the Browns addressed the QB position this offseason, adding signal callers via trade, free agency and the draft, does seem to suggest that they're starting to move forward without Watson in their plans.

The next several months will be telling as to whether or not this disastrous era with the former Texans QB is officially over.