When the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, most people figured he’d be buried on the depth chart—maybe a backup, maybe even a third-stringer. And yes, after Joe Flacco was announced as the Week 1 starter, that’s exactly where Pickett landed. But that never really felt like the plan in March. Right after signing, Pickett wasn’t shy about how he saw himself: “I do view myself as a starter,” he said. Confident. Straightforward. Kevin Stefanski’s words at the time added to that perception.

“I feel good. Obviously it’s March 31st, so there’s still a draft to be had. It’s not August 1st. I will say this: Kenny Pickett’s a guy that I believe in, that we believe in. So we’ll see how it all shakes out,” the HC said. Read between the lines, and Stefanski sounded like Pickett was the guy—the QB1—with maybe a rookie coming in to sit behind him. There was zero mention of Flacco entering the picture. But fast forward a few weeks, and Flacco’s signing flipped everything.

And now, he’s the QB1, no questions asked. Still, some people, including Mary Kay Cabot, believe that Stefanski’s early tone suggested Pickett was supposed to get the QB1 shot. And that’s where the conversation begins. During a virtual appearance on 92.3 The Fan, she opened on the Browns’ initial QB plans. “The Browns brought him (Pickett) in here to challenge for the starting job and be their bridge quarterback until one of their young guys was ready.”

“They didn’t sign Joe until April 11th. It was deep into free agency when they added Joe to the roster. You don’t do that if you think that guy is going to be your starting quarterback. Heading into offseason programs, Kenny Pickett was QB1. I think he was firmly in the mix to start Week 1 along with Joe for the most part, until he suffered the hamstring injury.” Once free agency kicked off, the Browns didn’t wait much longer and traded for Pickett.

But while drafting a QB was on the cards, they waited a month before signing Flacco. Cabot believes a team doesn’t wait that long to sign a QB if they truly see him as their starter. But they brought Flacco, along with a couple of rookies—Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. Then the four-way QB competition commenced.

Cabot believes that throughout the offseason program, Pickett was the presumed QB1. The 27-year-old turned heads during the training camp and gave a tough competition to Flacco for the QB1 shot. Pickett participated in most of the first-team reps at the beginning of the training camp. But then again, a hamstring injury sidelined him, and as Cabot reported, Kevin Stefanski was forced to change his decision and named Flacco as the QB1. Meanwhile, the Browns have made the QB decision for the preseason finale.

Shedeur Sanders will return to his old habits

Following a preseason Week 2 holdout due to an oblique injury, Shedeur Sanders will return for the preseason finale against the Rams. Coach Stefanski confirmed the Colorado Buffaloes’ product’s role. Kevin Stefanski also confirmed that he’ll play his starters “between 20 to 25 plays” in Saturday’s preseason finale. Flacco, who’s named as the QB1 for the regular season opener, will kick things off against the Rams.

Gabriel will get the opportunity next, followed by Shedeur at No. 3. And yes, Pickett will remain absent in the finale as he’s still nursing his hamstring. As for Shedeur, after sitting out Tuesday’s practice, the 23-year-old quarterback returned to practice on Wednesday, August 20. To spice it up, the fifth-rounder has stated that he doesn’t care where he sits in the QB pecking order.

“I’m playing for fun, playing for happiness,” he said on Thursday when asked if he needed to prove anything during Saturday’s game. “I’m playing for fans, the family, for everybody, for this organization that drafted me. So it’s a lot that I’m playing for.” And when asked about the No. 2 role behind Flacco, Shedeur responded bluntly. “Honestly, bro, I really don’t look into that. I don’t care. Whenever it’s time for me to get out there and play, I’m gonna play.”

Shedeur started the preseason opener and led the Browns to a 30-10 win over the Panthers. Along the way, the QB completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He was supposed to start the preseason Week 2 game, but an oblique injury sidelined him. Fast forward, and he’ll get an opportunity on Saturday. As for the regular season? That remains to be seen.