The Cleveland Browns have a lot of quarterbacks, and that’s not even counting the injured Deshaun Watson.
There are veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Then there are the rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders is the biggest name of the bunch despite being the only fifth-round pick of a group that includes two former first-round veterans and a third-round rookie in Gabriel.
Sanders’ last name and his football pedigree combine to make him a big story. That results in lots of interest in whether he can actually win the starting quarterback job in Cleveland.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, a plugged-in Browns beat writer, summed it up succinctly in a new story Thursday.
“There’s almost no scenario where a rookie wins the starting job initially,” Jackson writes.
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He broke down the whole situation further.
“Almost certainly, the battle for the starting job is between the two older quarterbacks who are only signed through 2025,” Jackson wrote. “The battle for longer-term positioning is between the rookies.”
That makes sense, especially given the context for head coach Kevin Stefanski and Cleveland’s leadership in general.
Coming off a 3-14 season, Stefanski probably needs a bunch of wins to feel secure that he’ll be keeping his job. And while the rookies could be the answer down the road, it’s hard to believe they’re quite ready to lead this Cleveland team to a great record.
Flacco’s experience with Stefanski’s offense, and his still powerful right arm, make him the favorite in the early going, according to Jackson.
Lots could change by midseason, especially if Cleveland struggles and decides there’s no harm in giving the youngsters a look.
But in the meantime, it sounds like Sanders and Gabriel will have to watch and learn.
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