Browns See 2 QBs Shine Above the Rest in Minicamp Day 1

It's now been well over a month since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. While teams can technically continue to sign new players, the majority of free agency has also come and gone. With the excitement of the offseason now over, fans are left counting down the remaining days until preseason and, finally, season kickoff.

Thankfully, minicamp is here to temporarily satiate the ravenous hunger for NFL action. All eyes are surely on the Cleveland Browns, who embarked on one of the most intriguing quarterback battles in recent memory after adding four potential new starters this offseason: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

The Browns might not have shut the door on the possibility of 2024 starter Deshaun Watson returning sometime in this upcoming season after re-rupturing his Achilles in December, but Cleveland has to be prepared for the likely scenario that he'll be unavailable for the entire campaign. They may have plenty of options, but none of the four gunslingers they added is a clear choice to be QB1 come September.

That's why minicamp, training camp, and the preseason will be especially crucial for the Browns. They'll need to take every rep they can into consideration before deciding on a Week 1 starter.

The first day of minicamp brought some interesting results for Cleveland's quarterbacks. In the team's 7v7 and 11v11 drills, two players stood out under center: veteran Kenny Pickett and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders may have been the most impressive of the day, having gone 10-12 passing with two touchdowns. Pickett also performed well with six completions on 10 attempts and three total touchdowns. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel struggled the most, going just 7-18 with one score. Veteran Joe Flacco did not throw in these drills on day one of minicamp.

Only time will tell who will end up emerging as the Browns' QB1, but it looks like Shedeur Sanders is off to a good start after a humbling draft experience.