Shedeur Sanders Reports To Training Camp: Previewing Cleveland Browns' Complicated Quarterback Battle

Another chapter to the Cleveland Browns' complicated quarterback competition began Friday as rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel reported to training camp in Berea, Ohio. The two recent NFL Draft picks will be on their own for four days before veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett arrive Tuesday.

Sanders, Gabriel, Flacco, Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson represent the most unique quarterback room in the NFL, and each of the four healthy signal-callers will look to make ground in the competition when Cleveland holds its first full-squad training camp practice on Wednesday. It's still unclear how coach Kevin Stefanski will distribute his quarterback reps, but Sanders needs a strong month to prove his worth.

After two record-breaking seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders was a projected first-round draft pick but ended up hearing his name called by Cleveland in the fifth round. Meanwhile, Gabriel landed with the Browns in the third round, giving the former Oregon Ducks star a supposed leg up over Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders Reports Training Camp Previewing Cleveland Browns Quarterback Battle Dillon Gabriel Joe Flacco Kenny Pickett — Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

At the same time, Sanders has arguably the greatest upside in Cleveland's four-man race. Draft analysts once hailed him as a potential No. 1 overall pick, and the newly formed fifth-round chip on his shoulder should only give the youngest son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders added motivation.

Although the Browns made a statement when they drafted Gabriel over Sanders in the third round, Stefanski's hands may be forced if his fifth-round pick outperforms his third-round pick in training camp and Cleveland's three preseason games.

ESPN analyst and former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas recently shared his opinion that while Sanders likely won't begin the season as Cleveland's starting quarterback, he could earn the job as soon as October if all goes well in training camp.

"I'm going to say about Game 7, that's when the Cleveland Browns play the Miami Dolphins," Douglas said on "SportsCenter" when asked about Sanders' starting potential. "If Shedeur Sanders goes in training camp and he's lights out and he's playing very, very well in preseason, there's gonna have to be conversations had that it might be earlier than that. What you don't want to do if you're Kevin Stefanski is to have a guy show that he is the guy, but to not play him. Then you're gonna have some controversy when it comes to your roster and older players who are trying to win right now."

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MORE: Deion Sanders Shares Truth About Colorado Buffaloes After Losing Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter

🔥 Shedeur Browns QB1. Training Camp Starts Today

"All eyes are going to be on Shedeur Sanders. What you don't want, is have a guy show that he is the guy, but you not play him"

📽️ @espn https://t.co/JAwKsaSMDl pic.twitter.com/aoEyXWxHtg
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) July 18, 2025

All signs still point to either Flacco or Pickett winning the Browns' starting job out of training camp due to their veteran experience. However, Pickett has been far from dominant in his three-year NFL career, and it's unclear how much Flacco has left in the tank at 40 years old.

Cleveland will face the Carolina Panthers (Aug. 8), Philadelphia Eagles (Aug. 16) and Los Angeles Rams (Aug. 23) in the preseason.