Shedeur Sanders' Rookie of the Year Odds Tank After Joe Flacco Wins Browns' QB Job

Joe Flacco has been named the Browns' starting quarterback, and that has shifted Shedeur Sanders' odds to win Rookie of the Year.

The Cleveland Browns have named quarterback Joe Flacco as their starter in the 2025 season. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

One quarterback battle in the NFL has been settled, as the Cleveland Browns named veteran quarterback Joe Flacco as their starter on Monday.

The #Browns are naming QB Joe Flacco as their starter, the end of a training camp competition that never really was.

Flacco quickly emerged as QB1, while the others battled injuries. The player who led them to the playoffs in 2023 is back. pic.twitter.com/oJPj0CzhDe

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2025

A former Super Bowl MVP, Flacco had been the favorite to win the Browns job with Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel all dealing with injuries during training camp. While Cleveland is still expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL -- it has win total projection of just 5.5 at many of the best NFL betting sites -- Flacco likely gives the team the best chance it has to win in 2025.

As for Sanders and Gabriel, they've both seen their Rookie of the Year odds take a hit with Flacco winning the job.

Sanders, a fifth-round pick, was +2500 to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the odds at DraftKings, as he put together a strong showing in Week 1 of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers.

In that game, Sanders completed 14 of his 23 passes for 138 yard and two scores. He also added four carries for 19 yards in the game. However, an oblique strain has sidelined the former University of Colorado star, and his Rookie of the Year odds dropped to +4000 after Flacco was named the starter.

Gabriel, who threw a pick-six in his first preseason action but did complete 13 of his 18 pass attempts, is just +6000 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year in the 2025 season.

It's still possible that one or both of these rookies will see the field in 2025, but Flacco would likely need to struggle for that to happen. The Browns are certainly hoping the veteran can channel the magic he had in the 2023 season when he led Cleveland to the playoffs.

Last season, in six starts for the Colts, Flacco posted just a 2-4 record and he finished the season (eight games) with 12 touchowns and seven picks while completing 65.3 percent of his passes.

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