Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett, left, chats with quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during an NFL practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Browns' Shedeur Sanders Receives Unfavorable Prediction

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Chris Wilson | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 6:02 PM ET

As the Cleveland Browns 2025 quarterback competition is set to intensify this week, a new leading contender for the team's starting QB position has surfaced.

According to multiple recent predictions from sports analysts and media outlets, Kenny Pickett appears poised to secure the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback role in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 7.

FanSided's Lior Lampert boldly predicted that Cleveland will choose Pickett as their Week 1 starter, release frontrunner Joe Flacco, and retain rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Lampert joins a recent swarm of analysts who have predicted the former Pittsburgh Steelers QB will begin the season under center for the Browns, including CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr and numerous analysts at ESPN.

"I think Kenny Pickett starts week 1 right now, I do," - @TheRealTRizzo on the Browns QB competition.

Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/znXgeTFWhK
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 26, 2025

In addition, Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who previously played with Pickett in Pittsburgh, recently expressed confidence in his former teammate's chances to win the job. Pickett received a significant share of first-team reps during minicamp and has reportedly developed a strong on-field rapport with new top WR Jerry Jeudy, whom he also trained with in the offseason

The Browns acquired Pickett via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in March, exchanging a 2025 fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the 27-year-old former first-round pick.

The Browns' quarterback competition took a surprising turn when Cleveland drafted Gabriel in the third round and Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, early indications from spring practices suggest the two veterans hold the advantage over the rookies as the Browns head into training camp this upcoming week.

After struggling to secure a long-term position in Pittsburgh and serving as a backup in Philadelphia, Kenny Pickett now finds himself with a legitimate opportunity to reclaim a starting quarterback role in the AFC North.