One thing the Browns won’t be lacking heading into next season?
Quarterbacks.
Who will be the starter for Cleveland come September?
Check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 28.
QB to take first snap for Browns in regular-season Week 1
Kenny Pickett: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
Shedeur Sanders: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)
Joe Flacco: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Dillon Gabriel: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Deshaun Watson: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Let’s recap how the Browns’ current quarterback room came to be.
In March 2022, the Houston Texans sent Deshaun Watson to the Browns in exchange for three first-round picks (2022, 2023 and 2024), two fourth-round picks (2022 and 2024) and a third-round pick (2023).
On March 12 of this year, Cleveland traded for former Steelers starter and Eagles backup Kenny Pickett.
On April 11, the Browns signed veteran QB Joe Flacco to a one-year deal.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland took last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, Dillon Gabriel, in the third round, with the 94th overall pick.
Then, finally, in the fifth round of the draft, the Browns selected last year’s Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Shedeur Sanders, with the 144th overall pick.
Five QBs but only one can start.
Immediately after the draft, Pickett sits as the favorite. He started 24 games for the Steelers in 2022 and 2023, going 14-10 overall. He was traded to the Eagles after the 2023 season where he served as backup for Jalen Hurts, starting just one game in Philadelphia, going 1-0.
“I’m not going there to hang out,” Pickett said in mid-April of wanting to be the starter in Cleveland. “I want to go play. I’m excited. Been working hard for it. Taking it a day at a time.”
With regard to the Browns’ immediate future at QB, FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang had this to say after the draft:
“Obviously, if either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders wind up being Cleveland’s long-term solution at quarterback, then GM Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski deserve praise. But is Cleveland’s plan to keep five quarterbacks on the roster? Neither Gabriel nor Sanders appear likely to be realistic options to start in the season opener, and the Browns brought in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in the offseason with Deshaun Watson still on the books.”
Let the quarterback competition begin.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
