Ever since Shedeur Sanders has come to Cleveland, drama has followed him. He walked into Berea on April 26. Now it’s June 26, 61 days later, and not a day has passed without a chat about Shedeur’s future with the Browns. After all, he walked in as a pick 144 straight into a 4-way QB1 race. Sure, Kevin Stefanski told the reporters during the minicamp that anyone can get in. “Like I’ve told you guys, let’s not look too much into who’s out there when. We’re in installation phase, we’re in teaching phase. So, not much to look into,” Stefanski said June 11.
But everyone’s doing their job. Fans certainly are, as they took notice of Shedeur’s 77.4% completion rate at the minicamp. He looked like a guy who could throw a football through a revolving door. Contrary to the early vibes of him looking to bring more drama than game. Yet here we are, just a month away from the camp, and Shedeur’s chances for a QB1 ride look bleak as ever.
Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh entered with a blunt take on the QB battle in Cleveland. “I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel.” Houshmandzadeh questioned the optics of Shedeur Sanders’ impressive completion rate during an appearance on the Nightcap show with Darren Waller: “Now, when you get the reports that Shedeur’s completed 7 of 9 passes. Like, is it against starters or is it threes and fours? Guys, that’s going to get released?”
He warned that stats can be deceptive when you’re taking reps against guys on the verge of being cut.“If it’s not against the starters or guys that’s going to be on the team. You don’t know how they dividing up the reps, and it’s virtually impossible.” Translation? Shedeur may be lighting it up, but the coaches aren’t lighting up his chances.
“I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel,” – @housh84 via @NightcapShow_ on the Browns QB competition.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/XjaCvewlma
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 26, 2025
Shedeur hasn’t played a single first-team snap, even though he statistically outperformed every quarterback in the building. Not one. Dillon Gabriel? Getting reps. Kenny Pickett? Practically living with the ones. Joe Flacco, who is forty, is also getting meaningful work. But Shedeur? Locked at QB4. It’s not a warning sign. It’s a flare gun. And his off-the-field adventures aren’t helping either. Shedeur made his rookie offseason into a Need for Speed sequel, going from 91 mph in Brunswick Hills to 101 mph in Strongsville. And to make matters worse? He did not appear in court. Instead, he attended a softball game and tried to joke it off.
So, obviously critics raised eyebrows. Mark Schleret warned Shedeur, saying, “Nothing is guaranteed for you. At some point, you got to understand.” Then, some are going all in with the #legendary belief. Kimberley A. Martin and Louis Riddick of ESPN both stated that Shedeur might be the team’s greatest pure passer. But without reps, he’s stuck as the guy in the quarterback room with no key to the front door. It’s not just unfair. It appears to be rigged now because warning signs are coming from the team itself.
Diontae Johnson says Kenny Pickett might just be the Browns’ plan A
Diontae Johnson, Browns WR, sees Kenny Pickett as already penciled in. Johnson casually dropped the bomb on the Sports and Suits podcast: “I think they are going to roll with Kenny for right now.” Say what you want about Pickett’s rocky Steelers run, but the guy has NFL starts. At least he knows what it looks like when a pro-tackle rushes at you.
Guess that’s why Johnson said that the Browns are liking what they are seeing in Kenny. “I think they are probably going to roll with him just to see like he’s coming off a season with Philly and having a Super Bowl. So, I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason. Then you know they can live with Joe and what he brings to the table.” Translation: The break-glass emergency is Flacco. Shedeur and Gabriel? 2026 development initiatives.
After the Deshaun Watson disaster, the Browns aren’t looking for a savior. They’re looking for a stable QB room. Right now, Pickett offers that. Sanders offers intrigue. But intrigue doesn’t win Week 1. For Shedeur Sanders, this summer was supposed to be about proving he belonged. And maybe he still does—on paper, the talent is undeniable. But in a franchise still recovering from QB heartbreak, it looks like Cleveland isn’t in the mood for another risk.
The post Shedeur Sanders Has Lost the QB Battle as Kevin Stefanski Decides 2 QBs For Browns, Per NFL Veteran appeared first on EssentiallySports.
