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Browns Projected to Deal $4 Million QB, 'Best Pure Thrower' Ahead of Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 10:30 AM ET

The Cleveland Browns are expected to trade one veteran quarterback before the regular season begins, but there's a chance they could deal two signal-callers ahead of the November 4 trade deadline.

It appears Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are battling for the starting job in Week 1 as the two veterans on the team. It's possible that Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders could overtake them both during training camp, though the end result (save for depth chart positioning) will likely be the same.

Cleveland doesn't need four quarterbacks, but holding on to one veteran to start the season makes sense. Thus, one of Flacco or Pickett is likely to be on the roster -- either as QB1 or the immediate insurance policy behind a rookie starter as QB2 -- while the other will probably be wearing another team's colors by September.

Peter Schrager of ESPN and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Network both believe Flacco will emerge the winner, but that doesn't mean his employment is secure for the entirety of the season.

"The Browns won't try to tank, but they have a rough early schedule and will be hard-pressed to have a winning record at the midpoint," Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported on Monday, June 23. "If they're clearly not in the hunt, they'll want to give Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders a chance to play so they can determine if one of them has a legitimate chance to start for them next season."

If Cleveland has two healthy rookies in Sanders and Gabriel and can secure a Day-3 draft pick for Flacco ahead of the deadline, that is the path of asset maximization. It also offers the clearest picture for the position heading into a 2026 draft, in which the Browns could end up with two top-10 picks -- their own and Jacksonville's.

Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs in 2023 and won the Indianapolis Colts' starting job from Anthony Richardson for a stretch last season.

"Flacco is the best pure thrower of the four-man quarterback group, even at 40, but it’s his steadiness and experience that make him such a valuable addition right now," Zac Jackson of The Athletic wrote Monday. "Flacco both mastered the offense quickly and earned the respect of the locker room during his 2023 stint with Cleveland."

Another team, particularly one on the fringes of playoff contention and dealing with injuries, will probably be able to use a player like Flacco midseason. The fact that he's playing on a one-year deal worth $4.25 million should render him highly tradable if that scenario arises.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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