Cleveland Browns' Kevin Stefanski Reveals Timeline For Naming Starting Quarterback

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski revealed his timeline for naming a starting quarterback before the NFL regular season. Is former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders in contention for the job, or is it veteran passer Joe Flacco's to lose?

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski revealed to reporters on Monday morning that he is close to naming Cleveland's starting quarterback for the 2025 regular season. Browns fans will soon get clarity on how the franchise views the quarterback room with Joe Flacco, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett, and an injured Deshaun Watson.

Sanders impressed in Cleveland's first preseason game, and the former Colorado Buffaloes star has already started to prove some of his doubters wrong. Was Sanders' performance enough to shake up the depth chart for Cleveland's coaching staff?

Kevin Stefanski To Name Cleveland's Starter Soon

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski before the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Stefanski said that he will decide when to announce the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback after the team travels to Philadelphia for a joint practice and preseason game with the Eagles on Saturday, Aug. 16.

Stefanski also revealed how Cleveland's coaching staff plans to divide up the reps between the joint practice and preseason game with Philadelphia. According to Stefanski, starters will take most of the reps during the joint practice while the backups are expected to play more during the actual preseason game.

Going into the Browns' first preseason game against Carolina on Friday night, Sanders was considered the fourth quarterback on the depth chart. Coupled with injuries to Gabriel and Pickett, Sanders played a majority of drives for Cleveland's offense while the rest of Cleveland's quarterback saw more reps in practice during the week.

Will the week before the matchup with Philadelphia look the same? Will either Gabriel or Pickett return in time to see the field against the Eagles?

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (15) after the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders' Preseason Performance

In Cleveland's first preseason game, Sanders got the start and made the most of his opportunity. The former Colorado star completed 14 of 23 pass attempts an threw two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers in week 1 of the preseason.

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Following Sanders' performance, many wondered if he passed his fellow rookie, Dillon Gabriel, on the quarterback depth chart. Gabriel is dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for the team's first preseason game, although the former Duck was a limited participant in practice leading up to the game.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of rookie minicamp May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kevin Stefanksi's Assessment of Shedeur Sanders

Stefanski declined to dive into the quarterback competition when speaking to the media after the game, but he did talk about Sanders' development:

"The situations were invaluable for Shedeur and all of our offense," Stefanski said. "We got a third-and-1 where he had a quarterback sneak. I mean, there's just a lot of football and that's by design with him getting a ton of reps in this game, and he'll get a ton of reps next week as well. That's all part of our development of our young players."