Browns Coaches Searching for Two Traits in Starting Quarterback per NFL Insider

The Cleveland Browns quarterback battle is expected to be hotly contested. These two traits could be the deciding factors for the QB1 job.

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

The Cleveland Browns are slated to have a tough and tightly contested quarterback battle. They'll likely need the entirety of both training camp and preseason to decide who they'll roll with under center come Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.

After Deshaun Watson re-ruptured his Achilles last winter, the Browns knew they'd need to identify a new starter for this upcoming campaign. To accomplish that, they added four different quarterbacks this offseason: former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco, fourth-year prospect Kenny Pickett, and two rookies, Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. The QB1 spot is reportedly wide open, and even Sanders, their fifth-round pick in the draft, is expected to have an honest opportunity to win the job.

With several viable candidates and the lack of a clear favorite for the starting spot, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and the rest of the staff will need to work tirelessly to identify their pick ahead of Week 1. According to NFL Network's Judy Battista, the Browns are looking for two traits in particular throughout training camp and preseason to help make their decision, and 94th-overall pick Dillon Gabriel has impressed in these categories so far:

"The Browns have already given Gabriel, their third-round rookie, an increase in snaps after being blown away by his processing speed early on. That's a particularly notable trait that could continue to endear Gabriel to the Browns' coaching staff, especially because processing speed and decision-making will be major keys behind the decision to name a starter."

Battista's report gives some valuable insight that could help predict who Cleveland will end up naming their QB1. Dillon Gabriel is reportedly already impressing with his processing, while Shedeur Sanders's scouting reports ahead of the draft didn't have that or decision-making as his primary strengths with the Colorado Buffaloes.

Pickett has struggled heavily in both of those areas so far in his NFL career. Joe Flacco, at 40 years old and entering his 18th season, might have a huge advantage with so much experience under his belt.