Kevin Stefanski has never been 0-3 as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Then again, he had never been 0-2 until this year. A 17-16 loss to the Bengals in Week 1 was followed by a 41-17 blowout against the Ravens in Week 2, leaving Cleveland desperate to avoid another collapse.

Now, three questions are looming. Are the Browns headed toward another doomed season? Has Stefanski already lost faith in Joe Flacco? Will there be a quarterback change in Week 3 against the Packers? The noise only grew louder when Dillon Gabriel made his NFL debut with 4:43 left against Baltimore. Going 3-for-3 for 19 yards and a touchdown. Stefanski may already be weighing options beyond the 39-year-old Flacco. And maybe even Shedeur Sanders.

On 92.3 The Fan, Cleveland coach Lance Reisland didn’t mince words when asked if turning to Gabriel—or any rookie—would be a sign of desperation. “Absolutely,” Reisland said. “I think the progression they’re doing with those guys—even watching every day during camp—I think they have a plan and they’re sticking to it. Whether we like the plan or not, that’s okay with me as long as they’re sticking with what they thought was going to work. That’s why they’re the coaches and the GM.”

Drafted in the fifth round after his stock plummeted from early first-round projections, Sanders entered the league as a fan favorite name. His preseason debut against Carolina showed promise, but a second outing versus the Rams reminded everyone he’s still raw.

Reisland doubled down, warning of the bigger risk: “Yes, I absolutely think that would be a panic move, especially against a defense like this week. I’m not a big believer in playing a guy just because you want to take a look at him. That loses a locker room really fast. That’s when you talk about culture.”

Stefanski has said repeatedly that he is committed to Sanders’ development. But commitment doesn’t equal playing time, not when every loss chips away at his credibility. Reisland added:

“You’re not in the business of developing during the season—you’re in the business of winning football games. With Flacco right now, watching him every day, he’s better than those guys. So if they get to the point where they’re as good, then yes, they should probably get a look—especially if they’re losing. But if they’re not there yet, I don’t think they play until they’re ready. You don’t play just because you need to take a look at them.”

The Browns are staring down the possibility of losing to Green Bay, which is already ahead and has a defensive rush success rate of 61.8% in the first two games. If that happens, the calls for change will only grow louder. But for Stefanski, the greater risk isn’t sticking with Flacco. It’s losing the locker room if he panics and hands QB1 to Shedeur Sanders before the team believes he’s ready.

Kevin Stefanski faces a tough choice as Flacco struggles

While NFL analyst Emory Hunt went against the grain on the Ross Tucker Podcast, arguing that Sanders—and fellow rookie Cam Ward—are already superior to any quarterback expected to headline the 2026 draft class.

“Shedeur and Cam Ward are far and above better than whoever the top quarterback would be in this class,” Hunt said. “You have people that get hung on these names, like Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar. Everyone is just recycling these names.”

That’s a bold endorsement, especially considering Sanders was the sixth QB taken in his own draft class. Still, the odds remain stacked against him in Cleveland. If Gabriel plays well in Flacco’s place, Sanders may not even get a start this season. And even if he does, a small late-season sample won’t prevent the Browns from drafting another quarterback in 2026 if the right prospect rises.

The storm in Cleveland’s quarterback room was inevitable, but nobody thought it would hit this quickly. The face of that collapse? A 40-year-old Joe Flacco sinking to a career-worst -1.60 EPA per dropback in those situations. So now Stefanski has a decision to make: will the Browns finally turn the page?