Browns QB Depth Chart After Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett Moves

Cleveland revealed where Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel fit on its depth chart.

The Cleveland Browns named Joe Flacco their starting quarterback and have rookie Shedeur Sanders way down on the depth chart. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns have set their depth chart at quarterback after several big moves. Fans of Shedeur Sanders will not be happy.

Cleveland ended the weekend with five quarterbacks, four of whom had been in a battle for the starting spot in training camp and the preseason. Joe Flacco was named the team's Week 1 starter last week, but there were still a few spots to figure out. The plan now appears set.

On Monday, the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round pick, clearing space in the team's crowded quarterback room. On Tuesday, the team placed Deshaun Watson on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the season.

Watson is recovering from two surgeries to repair his right Achilles tendon, which he ruptured during the 2024 season, then re-ruptured while recovering.

Those moves leave three active quarterbacks on the roster and we now know how they'll be situated.

Browns Quarterback Depth Chart for 2025

Flacco will be the team's starter, but on Tuesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that rookie Dillon Gabriel will be his backup. That means Sanders will be the team's third-string quarterback.

The full depth chart at the position is below.

String	QB
Starter	Joe Flacco
2nd	Dillon Gabriel
3rd	Shedeur Sanders
Reserve/PUP	Deshaun Watson

Gabriel and Sanders were both selected in the 2025 NFL draft and battled during training camp and the preseason for reps and placement on the depth chart. The Browns seem to think Gabriel won the competition.

Cleveland selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 draft, using the 94th pick to grab him. During his lone season at Oregon in 2024, the former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback was named first-team All-American and Big Ten Most Valuable Player. He is ranked second all-time in FBS career passing yards (18,722).

Sanders was projected as a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, but stunningly fell to the fifth round, where the Browns selected him with the 144th pick. He faced an uphill battle for playing time, given that Cleveland brought in a veteran like Flacco and drafted another quarterback two rounds before him.

Despite some good days during training camp and the preseason, ultimately, Stefanski chose Gabriel as his backup. Sanders will have to fight to earn that spot.

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