The legendary football figure John Madden once said, "If you have two quarterbacks, you have none." Well, what about if you have four?
Cleveland, where quarterbacks' careers have notoriously gone to die, has the NFL's most peculiar quarterback situation, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders all having a legitimate chance of earning playing time this season.
The Browns have started over 40 quarterbacks since 1999, by far the most in the NFL. As players report to training camp Tuesday, there's still little clarity on their quarterback situation - especially regarding the long-term future. But someone will line up under center when Cleveland opens the season against the Bengals. Who that is will be decided over the next six weeks.
Browns starting QB odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Joe Flacco | -105 |
| Kenny Pickett | +200 |
| Dillon Gabriel | +550 |
| Shedeur Sanders | +700 |
🏈 Check out the odds on theScore Bet here (available in Ontario only)
The smartest and most likely move for the Browns is to ride their veteran quarterbacks at the start of the season until the losses pile up and they have nothing to lose by handing the keys to a rookie. That's why Flacco is the odds-on favorite.
Flacco is 40 years old and has recently served as a solid bridge quarterback when teams needed a trustworthy alternative. He had a successful six-game stint with the Browns in 2023, winning four of their final five regular-season games, which led to a playoff appearance and earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. He started eight games for the Colts last season.
The 2012 Super Bowl MVP isn't the passer he was a decade ago, but he serves a purpose for a franchise desperate for steady quarterback play.
Pickett will likely begin the season as his backup, but he could outplay Flacco in training camp and earn the starting job. The more plausible scenario is that Flacco struggles in the first month of the season and Pickett replaces him.
Pickett served as a backup quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Eagles last year, sitting behind Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts. Pickett earned significant reps in two games and started one after Hurts suffered a concussion. The 2022 first-round pick played well in both outings, accurately delivering the ball to Philly's playmakers. He posted a 119 passer rating in his lone start and led the Eagles' offense to 41 points in a beatdown over the Cowboys.
While he's not talented enough to be a full-time NFL starter, Pickett could end up being Cleveland's best choice, especially if sitting behind Hurts for a year during a Super Bowl run accelerated his development.
However, the Browns' quarterback room garners headlines because of their rookies, not their vets. Sanders is a captivating story following his collegiate rise and draft slide.
Sanders' draft projection as a first or second rounder might have been generous based upon the buzz his dad and Colorado coach, Deion Sanders, created. However, his fall to the fifth round shocked the football world, and undoubtedly humbled a player whose character concerns and questionable talent led to his free fall.
Despite the embarrassing moment, Sanders might have landed in the right spot with a pathway to playing time as a rookie. He'll start training camp as the fourth-string quarterback, explaining his long odds behind fellow rookie Gabriel, whom the Browns selected in the third round. (Deshaun Watson is still on the roster, but he's rehabbing an Achilles injury he suffered last season and has likely played his last down in Cleveland.)
As the losses pile up, the Browns would be foolish not to provide their rookies a chance to prove themselves and develop with live reps. Whether that's Gabriel or Sanders first remains to be seen, but both of them should receive opportunities this season.
Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
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