Kevin Stefanski Unveils Plans for Browns Final Preseason Game

The Cleveland Browns have taken full advantage of their training camp and preseason. As a young team with a lot of moving parts, they needed as many reps as they could get ahead of the 2025 NFL season. After adding four new quarterbacks to replace the injured Deshaun Watson, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski just named his Week 1 starter the other day, dubbing Joe Flacco the QB1 for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's unlikely that Flacco will remain the starter throughout the entire campaign, though. After all, the team brought in three young quarterbacks they'll want to evaluate against real stakes: Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.

Both Sanders and Gabriel have gotten the opportunity to prove their mettle in the preseason, with Shedeur starting against the Carolina Panthers in preseason Week 1 and Dillon getting the nod in the Browns' second exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett hasn't suited up yet due to a hamstring injury and won't be available for Cleveland's final preseason bout against the Los Angeles Rams, either.

Cleveland Browns, NFL, training camp, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders — Jun 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws a pass as quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) and quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) look on during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Browns will play three of their quarterbacks against the Los Angeles Rams

While Kenny Pickett will remain on the sidelines, the Cleveland Browns will get their first look at Joe Flacco in a game setting ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Flacco will get a chance to ramp up before his start in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, as he'll play alongside the first-team offense in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

Once Flacco has completed 25-30 snaps with the starters, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel will take over under center with the second-team, before Shedeur Sanders comes on third.

#Browns Kevin Stefanski said Joe Flacco will start vs #Rams, starters 25-30 plays, Dillon Gabriel will play second and Shedeur Sanders third
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 21, 2025

Not only is this a good opportunity for Flacco to get his feet wet and refamiliarize himself with Head Coach Kevin Stefanski's system, but it's also a continuation of the Browns' ongoing quarterback competition. Flacco might be starting Week 1 versus the Bengals, but there haven't been any assurances made beyond that.

If Flacco plays poorly or gets hurt, Cleveland will want to have a solid rotation set in place for who's up next. With Pickett still working through his hamstring issue, whoever plays better between Gabriel and Sanders in the preseason Week 3 clash against the Rams could see regular-season action sooner rather than later.