ESPN Insider Delivers Major Browns' Quarterback Prediction

Needless to say, the Cleveland Browns quarterback battle has been a hot topic of discussion ahead of training camp and preseason. With Deshaun Watson likely out for the entirety of the 2025 NFL season after re-rupturing his Achilles last winter, they brought in four different QBs this offseason to compete for his vacated starting spot: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.

Considering this group consists of two rookies — a third and a fifth-round draft pick — an unproven fourth-year prospect, and a 40-year-old veteran, there's really no telling who will emerge as the top option come Week 1, as reflected by the current betting odds. Even 144th-overall pick Shedeur Sanders has an honest shot, especially since he was arguably the most impressive passer throughout minicamp and OTAs.

Cleveland Browns could start multiple quarterbacks throughout the 2025 NFL season

The expectation is that Cleveland will roll with one of their experienced options under center to start the season, either Flacco or Pickett, although recent developments have brought a discouraging outlook for the latter. It wouldn't be surprising, then, for the Browns to try out multiple starters throughout the campaign. ESPN's Dan Graziano expects to see several different gunslingers start for Cleveland next year:

"With two first-rounders in a draft that's expected to be better at QB than this year's, the Browns will need to go into next offseason with some certainty about who they already have on the roster. Even if Flacco or Pickett opens the season as the starter, Cleveland needs to find out what it has in third-round pick Gabriel or fifth-round pick Sanders. It seems like an absolute slam-dunk that at least three quarterbacks will start games for the Browns this season."

The Browns and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski are going into training camp with a lot of questions surrounding the roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Those concerns go far deeper than just at the quarterback slot, and not many are expecting much from Cleveland overall.

This could prove to be another experimental campaign for the Browns. It would make perfect sense for them to use the season to evaluate all of their options at QB to see if they need to address the need once again in the 2026 NFL Draft.