Cleveland Browns To Make Big Quarterback Trade Before Week 1, Claims NFL Insider

The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition has been an intriguing one ever since the franchise decided to select two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft: former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and former Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders.

With the two rookies joining veteran quarterback Joe Flacco as well as former first-round pick Kenny PIckett, many have wondered what Cleveland will do with four quarterbacks on the roster. According to the latest report from ESPN, the Browns are expected to trade one of Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, or Sanders before week 1 of the NFL season.

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

ESPN writer Dan Graziano predicted that Pickett will be Cleveland's starting quarterback at the begging of the regular season, and Graziano suggested that the Browns will likely trade one of the four quarterbacks in order to create room on the depth chart.

Pickett, Graziano's predicted starter, suffered a hamstring injury that will be evaluated later in the week. As a result, Cleveland's other quarterbacks will get valuable reps in training camp while Pickett recovers his hamstring.

Cleveland's first preseason game is on Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers. The Browns will open the regular season on Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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If the Browns are planning to trade a quarterback, which one would it be?

Trading a rookie quarterback only a few months are selecting him in the draft is relatively uncommon across the NFL, but so is drafting two quarterbacks in the same class.

Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel gets ready during Day 2 of rookie minicamp on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gabriel spoke about his relationship with Sanders and the rest of Cleveland's quarterbacks after a recent training camp practice:

“It’s good. I think theres a bunch of ways to do it and we’ve just been doing it by being ourselves,” Gabriel said. “It’s been a lot of fun that way. We have a fun room and there’s a bunch of diversity in a lot of ways, and we use that to our advantage.”

Many have wondered if Flacco will be on the trade block for the Browns, considering his veteran status. However, will Pickett's recent injury impact the decision made by Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff?

Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) walks off the field during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Stefanksi and the Browns chose Gabriel with a third-round pick in the NFL Draft, and the former Duck reportedly won Cleveland over with the accuracy and decision making that he showed while leading Oregon to a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff.

In early training camp practices, Gabriel seems to be receiving more reps in comparison to Sanders, but the Browns coaching staff has rotated each quarterback among the different offensive groups throughout each practice.

Still, if the division of reps has any implications, Cleveland appears to be prioritizing the development of Gabriel in the early parts of training camp. However, the Browns may also be using Flacco's veteran status to their advantage, giving more of his practice reps to the rookies.