Cleveland Browns' Kenny Pickett Frontrunner To Start? Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco Competition

Is Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett the frontrunner to win the starting job? NFL insider reveals that Pickett will receive first-team reps in OTAs. Then, the competition will really begin between rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and veteran Joe Flacco.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches from the sideline during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Is Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett the frontrunner to win the starting job? The Browns and coach Kevin Stefanski find themselves in a unique scenario with four quarterbacks vying to become Cleveland's starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season.

May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) talks to the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pickett sometimes feels like an afterthought, as rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel received unprecedented media coverage during rookie camp in Berea. The rookies are challenging former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco, who has 18 years of NFL experience and been widely-considered the favorite to begin the season under center.

... Not so fast though, the latest from the Browns says it's not Flacco's job to lose.

NFL insider Mary Kay Cabot reveals that the plan is for Pickett to receive first-team reps in Cleveland's Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp. Then, the competition will really begin between Sanders, Gabriel and Flacco.

“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," Cabot wrote. "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."

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

The Browns quarterback competition is one of the most debated topics of this NFL offseason. It's possible, probable even, that one of the quarterbacks will be traded.

For now though, it appears that Pickett is at the top of the depth chart. With the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, Pickett appeared in five total games, completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. At 26 years old, Pickett still has the upside of being a long-term option and says he plans on starting, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

“That’s the plan, man. I’m not going there to hang out,” Pickett said. “I want to go play. I’m excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time.”

How did they get here? The Browns signed Flacco as a free agent before trading for Pickett. Then in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland selected former Oregon Ducks quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Gabriel in the third round. Then, when former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sanders was still available in the fifth round, Cleveland felt it had to jump on the opportunity. Also, Deshaun Watson is still on the team but is likely out for 2025 after suffering a re-rupture of his injured Achilles.

MORE: Cleveland Browns Offensive Lineman Joel Bitonio Reveals Impression Of Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Cleveland Browns Trade Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett To Keep Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel?

MORE: Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders Offer 4-Star Recruit Committed To Oklahoma Sooners

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) walks off the field after win against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks,”Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters after the draft. “But as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”

NFL preseason begins for the Browns on the road vs. the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. It'll be first look at all four of Clevelands' quarterbacks in NFL action in Browns uniforms. Cleveland will also play the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams during the preseason before opening the 2025 campaign at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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