The noise around Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns is growing louder by the day. And with head coach Kevin Stefanski’s job reportedly on the line, it’s no wonder the pressure is reaching a boiling point. Recently, Sportsnaut’s Jason Burgos even floated a wild possibility: Alabama legend Nick Saban could land with the Browns if things go south. According to Burgos, the franchise might be “desperate” enough to make Saban an offer he can’t refuse.
But before that fantasy turns into reality, there’s a much more immediate dilemma brewing in Cleveland — and it revolves around the quarterback room. The drama surrounding the Browns’ four-QB logjam has only deepened with time, mostly because no decision has been made yet. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero recently broke down the state of this complicated battle, and his take made one thing clear: there’s pressure on Stefanski, and someone will soon have to rise above the rest.
As it continues to gain traction, journalist Tom Pelissero dissected the QB situation in the Browns and shared his take. He weighed in on the two veterans, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, who are waiting for an opportunity to prove their potential. While Flacco won a Super Bowl almost a decade ago, Pickett has struggled with injuries.
Speaking of the preseason, he said, “The logical way to approach this would be you give Joe Flacco a start, you give Kenny Pickett a start, you give the two rookies a lot of playing time through those first two preseason games.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 10, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 talk to the media during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250610_kab_bk4_066
Meanwhile, there are also two rookies in the equation. As Pelissero said that Sanders still has a lot to learn. Moreover, Pelissero noted that the situation would only get more complicated in the future for one reason. “We’ve all seen when you get into the preseason and somebody, it’s usually a first-round quarterback, but sometimes a rookie quarterback or a young guy will jump off to such a great degree that the coaches involved just have to go, we’ve got to at least give this guy a shot.” He believes the coach will feel the pressure to give at least one of them a chance on the field.
This means that all Sanders needs is just one powerful move! And well, he has moved mountains in Cleveland’s OTAs, completing 77.3% of his passes with 9 touchdowns and one interception. Soon, there was major buzz surrounding Sanders as speculation about his future with the team grew louder.
Though he has only seen limited 7-on-7 action and remains behind the veterans, he has been fiercer than ever in the competition. Will he be able to stay with the Browns? After all, there’s another rookie in conversation!
Kevin Stefanski is under pressure as the QB1 deadlines approach
Well, many analysts have hinted that Dillon Gabriel has better chances than Sanders. As Sportswriter, Mary Kay Cabot shares, Gabriel has impressed the staff with his performance. “His superpower in the competition is his computer-like processing speed and decision-making,” she further added. He has been quite impressive in the practice session. Spencer German even dubbed one of his bootleg fakes “the throw of the day.” That kind of buzz is rare! “They are intrigued by Dillon Gabriel. They think from the neck up he is a No. 1 pick,” Tony Grossi commented on ESPN Cleveland, which only added fuel.
Well, the situation has gotten serious now with little time left for Stefanski to make a decision. It’s rookie Gabriel who’s generating the most momentum. As the head coach earlier declared, “All four of those guys did a great job in the spring… but ultimately, we’d love to make decisions sooner than later.” But it seems patience is wearing thin. As Cabot explained, “I don’t know if they’ll name a starter at this point. But I think by the time they get home from Philadelphia—that game on August 16—they have to know who their starting quarterback is,” she said.
This means that the Eagles’ preseason game is the deadline for the franchise to make a decision. As Cabot bluntly put it, “You can’t spend a whole bunch of camp in a four-way quarterback competition. It’s not sustainable.” The Browns need to commit to a starter. NFL insiders and former players have also weighed in, with Aditi Kinkhabwala leaning toward Pickett, and Kyle Long giving a public nod to veteran Flacco to show support.
That leaves Shedeur Sanders in a precarious spot. What we can do is wait to see how things turn out for him.
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