Browns QB Race Reportedly Has Clear Leader According to Insider

The Cleveland Browns have a major quarterback competition brewing ahead of training camp and preseason action. As of right now, the team has five quarterbacks on the roster.

Of course, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel were recently picked by the Browns in the 2025 NFL draft. Cleveland also has veteran options in Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Deshaun Watson.

Watson is almost certainly not going to be the starting quarterback in 2025. He has had his chances with the Browns and has done nothing with them.

While training camp hasn't started, one team insider revealed the clear leader to win the starting job at this point.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes that Pickett is the clear leader to win the job, at least for right now.

“It’s a tough call before we’ve even seen the first practice of organized team activities, but I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset. He’ll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp, and it seems like it’s his job to try to keep for now,” Cabot wrote.

Pickett is coming off of a 2024 season with the Philadelphia Eagles that saw him receive some playing time. He appeared in five total games, completing 59.5% of his passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. At 26 years old, Pickett still could be a long-term option if things work out perfectly.

Flacco seems to be the second likely option to be the Week 1 starter. Sanders and Gabriel very well could see the field this season too.

Throughout the course of the 2025 season, head coach Kevin Stefanski will be searching for the best quarterback in the room. The Browns need a long-term franchise quarterback, which brings up the likelihood of the two rookies getting some kind of playing time.