All eyes are on the Cleveland Browns and their rookie quarterbacks ahead of the 2025 season.
The struggling franchise, which finished with a dismal 3-14 record last time out, turned heads at the draft in April.
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Four players will battle it out to be starting QB for the Browns in 2025Credit: Getty
While defensive tackle Mason Graham was their first selection, and the fifth overall pick, what Cleveland did later on caught attention.
The Browns selected QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round, and rounded off their draft by ending Shedeur Sanders’ all-time slide in the fifth.
By bringing in two rookie signal callers, the team now has one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in the NFL.
They join veteran Joe Flacco, and recent arrival Kenny Pickett, to battle it out for a roster spot.
Deshaun Watson, who signed a $230million contract in 2022 that has since been labelled a massive mistake, is also still with the Browns.
An Achilles injury could keep him sidelined him for the entire season.
Therefore Flacco, who is gearing up for his second stint in Cleveland, is the presumed Week 1 starter and has been vocal about being much more than just a mentor to the younger guys in the room.
At 40-years-old, the veteran is about to enter his 19th NFL season, and would be forgiven for taking it a little easier in these early practice sessions.
But that, apparently, isn’t the case, and Flacco has this week suggested Cleveland’s rookies are struggling to keep up with him in OTAs.
“When it got easier in like, 2011 I think, everybody that was playing at that point had been grouped two days at some point in their life,” he told reporters.
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Flacco has suggested Cleveland’s rookies are struggling to keep up in OTAsCredit: Getty
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The veteran, entering his 19th season, expects to start in Week 1Credit: Getty
“Guys that are coming in the NFL now have never done it.
“We’re out here for an hour and 15 minutes and guys think it’s hard. You know, our OTAs were like over two hours.”
While there is a clear generation gap between Flacco and his rookies, which was further proven by a conversation between him and Sanders during drills last week, the battle to be Cleveland’s starter will come down to more than age and experience.
One NFL analyst has already suggested Shedeur’s ‘star power’ could help him land the role by Week 8 of the 2025 season, but not everyone is convinced by that idea.
In fact, head coach Kevin Stefanski has already sent a clear message to Sanders with an early decision.
For the first few days of mandatory minicamp, Stefanski chose to give first-team reps to Flacco and Pickett, while the rookies have been working with the second team.
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Stefanski has suggested the Browns are still in the ‘teaching’ phase ahead of 2025Credit: Getty
Defending that decision, the coach explained to reporters that his team is still in the ‘installation phase.’
“Let’s not look too much into who’s out there and when,” Stefanski said.
“We’re in installation phase, we’re in teaching phase, so not much to look into.
“It’s the offseason. It’s OTAs, so we’re going to keep the focus there. Once you get into training camp, of course, you’re getting ready to play games and ultimately getting ready to play the season.
‘Real team player’ – Shedeur Sanders classy response to Joe Flacco warning lauded by fans
“But right now, that’s not our focus.”
One man who Sanders appears to have already impressed is Myles Garrett.
The former Defensive Player of the Year requested a trade from the Browns in February before eventually agreeing on a four-year, $160million contract extension.
Garrett is one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL, and upon his return to minicamp this week got a closer look at the Browns news QB room.
He suggested all of the QBs looked calm in practice, offering the rookies some sage advice.
“I only really saw Dillon today as far as getting reps in team,” Garrett said this week.
“He looks composed. He’s running the offense pretty well. His eyes got pretty big when I got free and I was face up on him.
“But all of them look pretty calm, just going through their checks, going through their calls, making the plays they need to make, not doing too much right now, and they’ll have time to continue to display their talents.
“It’s just one day at a time. Continue to earn the trust of your coaches and your teammates, and I think they’ll be able to open up the game.”
Quarterback depth in Cleveland
How the Browns are shaping up at QB ahead of 2025
Joe Flacco – 19-year NFL veteran who won Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens
Kenny Pickett – Former first-round draft pick preparing for fourth year
Dillon Gabriel – Oregon Ducks prospect selected as 94th pick of 2025 draft
Shedeur Sanders – Touted as top draft prospect before sliding to 144th pick
Deshaun Watson – Expected to be sidelined for 2025 after suffering Achilles injury setback
Cleveland open their regular season in less than three months, when they host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 7.
They will also play three pre-season games, first against the Carolina Panthers on August 9, before facing the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.
Stefanski will likely have a solid plan for his quarterbacks by that time, but until August rolls around, expect to hear plenty more speculation about who will be under center for the Browns in 2025.
The team also have a big decision to make off the field too, with plans for building a new domed stadium in Brook Park being boosted this week.
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The Browns have proposed a move from Huntington Bank Stadium to a new siteCredit: Cleveland Browns
Back in February, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Haslam Sports Group (HSG) outlined their vision for the new site, located in a suburb south-west of Cleveland.
The stadium portion of the project will cost around $2.4bn, and HSG is seeking a 50/50 public and private partnership.
On Wednesday, June 11, the Browns received some good news relating to one part of the proposed public funding, with the Ohio Senate passing a budget that includes $600m in state money for the new stadium.
While there is plenty more work to be done to bring the project to fruition, the future of the Browns franchise could one day be playing in a stunning new setting.
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