Cleveland Browns OTAs: Eyes On Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett

Along with the rest of the NFL, the Cleveland Browns are continuing OTAs on Tuesday, and the competition between former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, former Colorado Buffaloes passer Shedeur Sanders, Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, and first-round pick Kenny Pickett has the majority's attention.
May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) talks to the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) talks to the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

With the Cleveland Browns resuming OTAs on Tuesday, fans will get another chance to watch former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, former Colorado Buffaloes passer Shedeur Sanders, former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, and former first round pick Kenny Pickett compete for the Browns' starting job.

Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski insisted that players, fans, and media alike pay no attention to the division and rotation of reps between the four quarterbacks on the Browns roster. Still, The Athletic's Zac Jackson reported that Pickett and Flacco split a majority of the first team reps during earlier OTAs. What will the order of quarterbacks look like on Tuesday for Stefanski and the Browns?

Stefanski appeared on ESPN Cleveland's "The Really Big Show," and he answered a number of questions on the Browns crowded quarterback room, including how Cleveland's coaching staff plans to evaluate them during OTAs.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski watches during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski watches during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

"The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need," Stefanski said. "It's two-fold. Both, they're learning the system, they're developing, and we're evaluating them and finding out more about them. That's why I said before, it's not going to be everybody gets 25 percent of these reps. It's not how it's gonna be. We want to give everybody enough reps where we can learn more about them and prepare them to get ready to play."

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Some assume that Cleveland has plans of trading a quarterback, but the Browns options could be more limited than what appears to be a deep quarterback room at first glance. How much trade value will other teams place on Joe Flacco? Pickett is on his third NFL team in four seasons, so will other teams want to trade the Browns for Pickett before watching him perform during the season?

Lastly, would Cleveland trade one of Sanders or Gabriel so soon after drafting them? Gabriel earned an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony while at Oregon, and Sanders finished his college career with the highest completion percentage of any quarterback in history.

Cleveland Browns OTAs: Eyes On Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, facing, chats with rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) 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

While Sanders, Gabriel, Flacco, and Pickett are receiving a majority of the attention, other rookies will also continue their introduction to Cleveland's franchise and the NFL as a whole. The Browns selected defensive lineman Mason Graham out of Michigan with the No. 5 overall pick, and Cleveland is expecting him to anchor the defensive line alongside Browns star Myles Garrett for the next few seasons.

The Browns are also bringing in rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and linebacker Carson Schewsinger. Cleveland traded for Pickett during the offseason after he spent one year with the Philadelphia Eagles, adding another new face to the franchise. On the other hand, Cleveland wide receiver Diontae Johnson has not attended OTAs after signing with the team during the offseason.

All eyes will be on Cleveland as OTAs continue from June 3-5.


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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.