The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room is one of the most crowded in the NFL heading into 2025, with a mix of veterans and rookies all vying for the starting job.
The team has added quarterback Kenny Pickett via trade, signed Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco, and drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – not to mention the presence of the injured Deshaun Watson.
Despite the attention surrounding the young rookies, especially fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, many believe the starting role will eventually be won by either Flacco or Pickett.
“My sense is that Joe Flacco is going to take the first snap in the spring, which there’s some significance to that,” TheMMQB’s Albert Breer stated.
“I think [Steelers coach] Mike Tomlin called it pole position last year when he was talking about his own quarterback situation. I think Joe Flacco has pole position here.”
The 40-year-old Flacco, who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory, is expected to take the first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp.
However, Breer envisions a scenario where Kenny Pickett could ultimately seize the starting role when it’s all said and done.
“The guarantees in Joe Flacco’s deal and Kenny Pickett’s deal are almost identical to one another,” Breer added. “So, walking away from either guy would more or less have the same penalty.”
“So, even though Joe Flacco gets the first snap in the spring, that doesn’t mean, like, Kenny Pickett won’t get the first snap in the summer or that Joe Flacco is gonna make the team if Kenny Pickett wins the job.”
Speaking of Pickett, he of course is no stranger to scrutiny.
The Browns recently sparked fresh conversations about his hand size with a workout photo posted on social media.
The image showed Pickett alongside Joe Flacco, drawing attention to a noticeable difference in their grip on the football.
“How many of y’all thought this was a meme of the Kenny Pickett hands?” one fan posted on X.
Many fans couldn’t resist poking fun at Pickett’s hand measurements, which became a hot topic during the 2022 NFL Draft process.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Pickett’s hands were measured at just 8.5 inches, the smallest of any quarterback at that time.
This led to concerns about his ball security and grip, although these worries have yet to significantly affect his NFL career.
Despite the playful criticism, Pickett has now found himself in a fierce competition for the starting job in Cleveland.
The Browns traded for Pickett in March, sending quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the hungry QB.
As the offseason progresses, all eyes will be on Pickett, Flacco, and rookies Gabriel and Sanders as they battle for the top spot on the depth chart.
What are your thoughts on Cleveland’s “interesting” quarterback situation? … At the end of the day, who do you think will win the starting job???
