NFL Insider Predicts Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterback: Joe Flacco Or Shedeur Sanders?

Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Sanders is in the Browns quarterback room with Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Deshaun Watson.

The Browns don’t have a set starter, so a big question heading into the Browns' Week 1 matchup this fall will be who will be the starting quarterback.

NFL insider Mike Florio gave his take on the situation this week.

Mike Florio Predicts Joe Flacco As Browns' Starting Quarterback

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco makes a handoff to running back Dylan Sampson (22) during an NFL practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk went on the podcast Pardon My Take this week. Pardon My Take co-host PFT Commentator asked Florio who Florio thought would be Browns starting quarterback in Week 1. Florio gives the edge to the veteran Joe Flacco for who will start.

“Probably Joe Flacco. Just because that’s the guy who you can get ready with fewer first team reps in August,” Florio said. “Flacco is the fan favorite…the fans are going to want (Flacco), you can get him ready easily, and you can focus your efforts on trying to figure out between Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders; which guy is the most likely to merge as your long term answer.”

Florio added that he believes the Browns will go into training camp with three of the five quarterbacks they currently have on the roster right now. With Watson still recovering from a torn achilles, he may not be ready to go next season and one of the other four quarterbacks could be traded. Florio thinks Kenny Pickett would be the one to go.

“I believe that they are going to try to move Kenny Pickett before the training camp opens,” Florio said. “He was the insurance policy they traded for before they made any of these other moves.”

Joe Flacco was just in Cleveland two seasons ago and helped lead them to the playoffs. He has familiarity with with this Browns playbook. In the long term, the Browns can further evaluate the two rookies in Gabriel and Sanders to see who is better suited to lead the franchise for years to come.

“I think they are going to go to camp with three guys; Flacco, Gabriel, and Sanders. Flacco will start Week 1 and once one of the other two guys is ready, they’ll put that guy out there,” Florio said.

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Cleveland Browns Seeking Bounce Back 2025 Season

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski watches quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) participate in drills during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2024 season could not have gone much worse for the Cleveland Browns. Following an 11-6 campaign in 2023 that resulted in a playoff appearance, there were high hopes in Cleveland.

In 2024, the Browns went 3-14. Quarterback Deshaun Watson who is in the middle of a five-year fully guaranteed contract has not lived up to expectations and is now recovering from his achilles injury. They are in desperate need of some kind of spark.