Although Joe Flacco has been named the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for Week 1, that doesn't guarantee he'll be playing all 17 games for the Browns this season.
After trading away Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, the only two quarterbacks remaining on Cleveland's roster are rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who were given a chance to show what they had in the preseason.
Clearly, the former Oregon Duck and Colorado Buffalo showed enough to be trusted as the second and third-string quarterbacks for Cleveland, as evidenced by the Pickett trade. But will it be enough for either of them to get a shot to start in 2025?
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders May Have a Chance to Start in 2025
Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot reported that the Browns may be quick to pull the 40-year-old Flacco if he struggles to start the season.
"The Browns will start Joe Flacco for as long as he’s operating the offense effectively, and winning games,” Cabot wrote. “But if he’s turning the ball over or taking sacks, the Browns will hand the reins to Gabriel without hesitation. They loved what they saw of Gabriel in camp and preseason games, and won’t hesitate to start him even if it’s early in the season."
While at first this sounds like great news for the 94th overall pick out of Oregon, Cabot continued on to say that Sanders will also have a shot to prove himself as Cleveland's future starter down the line.
"As for Sanders, he’ll also get some live action this season, but probably not until later in the season when he’s more seasoned."
Flacco will have to make sure he's at the top of his game if he wants to retain his spot as the starter in Cleveland. But if his turnover problems or lack of mobility start to cost the Browns games, it's clear they won't hesitate to turn to their youngsters for a spark.