With training camp underway, the Cleveland Browns have a four-man race to decide who will be the Week 1 starting quarterback.
Among the contenders are Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. All four players are going to be given opportunities to earn playing time both before the season and throughout the year.
Flacco has been viewed as the early front-runner to win the job. Pickett has also been talked about as a potential starting option in Week 1.
Despite those two players being at the forefront of the conversation, the Browns have received some surprising advice from one former NFL quarterback.
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ESPN analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky spoke out with his opinion on the matter. He doesn’t think Cleveland should start either Flacco or Pickett.
Instead, Orlovsky believes that the Browns should do everything they can to play Gabriel or Sanders.
“I do not think all four should have the chance to start. If I was Cleveland, I would be doing everything I could to have Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders as my starting quarterback,” Orlovsky said.
Finding a way to play the rookies makes perfect sense for Cleveland. The team will need to figure out what it has in both players before next offseason.
Looking ahead to next offseason, the Browns are scheduled to have two first round picks. There are quite a few quarterbacks who will be available during the 2026 class as well.
Keeping that in mind, Cleveland will need to know whether it still needs a franchise quarterback or if it already has one on the roster.
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That being said, head coach Kevin Stefanski has his work cut out for him. He will be tasked with figuring out how to compete and how to get the rookies on the field.
It will be interesting to see what the Browns choose to do at quarterback. They might choose to start the season with one of the veteran options, but at some point this year they need to get their rookies on the field.
Expect to hear a lot of talk about the Cleveland quarterback competition in the coming weeks. The 2025 season is coming up quickly and the Browns will need to make a decision before long.
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