As we sit 2 months away from the season, the debate about the starting position is heating up. While noted CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala made Kenny Pickett‘s fans happy with her staunch support, CBS just hosted a veteran who shut down her enthusiasm. Former Chiefs guard Kyle Long threw Pickett out of the window on the July 14 episode of the NFL on CBS. But hold on! The Browns HC, Kevin Stefanski, has three more contenders – Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. And that’s where the veteran went a little Hollywood(ish).

Do you remember the impressive line by Billy Bob Thornton’s character in the 1996 thriller Sling Blade, Men don’t last forever? That’s what Long attributed his analysis to. He didn’t just speculate, he planted a flag. “Joe Flacco is the oil business,” he said. “These young men are going to get spit out the a– end of an oil rig, and Joe Flacco will emerge victorious.” That’s not just football talk. That’s a locker room prophecy.

Forget the offseason chatter about the “four-man race.” Stefanski’s not a roulette guy. He’s a technician. And he’s looking for trust, consistency, and command. Sanders? He’s talented, no doubt. But Flacco’s throwing ropes like it’s 2012, and he’s doing it without flinching. While he’s 40, he’s rich in reps, and he’s seen every disguise a defense can throw. Sanders is still figuring out how to read nickel blitzes.

Kevin Stefanski has taken a long time to choose Joe Flacco. But that’s not out of desperation or by accident. Last season’s QB chaos left scars. The coach doesn’t want raw anymore. He wants reliability. And Flacco’s 13–8 TD-to-INT ratio in 2023 wasn’t just a comeback story, it was a roadmap. That version of Flacco wins games and keeps a team in playoff contention. Moreover, that version wins Comeback Player of the Year.

Shedeur? He’s the college prodigy getting his first dose of pro reality. But the hits are faster. The reads are brutal. And the leash? Short. He impressed with his work ethic in the rookie camp by staying up late. But you can feel Stefanski’s patience wearing thin.

Maybe Sanders will be great. Maybe he’ll light it up somewhere else. But if you’re reading between the lines in Cleveland, the battle’s already over. The Browns have chosen certainty. They’ve chosen oil.

Kevin Stefanski rumored to trade Shedeur Sanders

After a whirlwind spring of QB controversy and Kevin Stefanski’s growing lean toward veteran Joe Flacco, the Browns are reportedly looking at ways to salvage value from their rookie project, rather than just cut him loose. Enter the Los Angeles Rams.

Per Dawg Pound Daily, the Rams are the “best trade fit” for Sanders, and honestly, it checks out. Matthew Stafford isn’t eternal. He’s 36, has been banged up the past few seasons, and though Jimmy Garoppolo was re-signed as a stopgap, LA needs a long-term plan. “Sanders could sit behind (Stafford), learn the nuances of Sean McVay’s system, and grow into a potential starter down the line,” the outlet’s Mark Sipos wrote.

Also, his timing-heavy style and quick release? Tailor-made for McVay’s rhythm-based passing attack. But LA isn’t alone. The Buffalo Bills are lurking. Josh Allen is untouchable, and Mitchell Trubisky‘s back to hold the clipboard. But that third QB slot? Wide open.

Meanwhile, Sipos pegs Buffalo as a sneaky trade suitor. “Sanders would be a low-risk, high-upside addition who could sit behind Allen, learn in a structured offense, and grow without pressure,” he wrote. It’s the exact developmental cocoon Kevin Stefanski can’t offer him anymore.

Bottom line – Stefanski’s QB room is crowded, veteran-heavy, and increasingly impatient. But with all his raw potential and brand magnetism, Sanders needs time and space, neither of which exists in Cleveland. But in LA or Buffalo? He might just find his second chance.