It felt like the Browns had finally broken the cycle. A return for Joe Flacco at the wheel with memories of that late 2023 surge still fresh, a bold trade for Super Bowl winner Kenny Pickett, and a surprise draft gamble on Shedeur Sanders—all in the span of six months. For a fanbase that’s lived through more quarterback turnover than coaching changes, there was something oddly hopeful in the chaos. But as camp inches closer, that familiar Cleveland feeling is creeping back in.

Promise, uncertainty… and silence. The kind of silence that turns QB rooms into pressure cookers—and top prospects into afterthoughts. It’s the hope that kills you. And if you’re too hopeful about Shedeur, you might get your heart broken very soon. Because not only is he far behind in the depth chart, but his future with the Browns might also be up in the air.

Shedeur Sanders has slipped all the way to fourth on the Browns’ depth chart. Yes. Dead last. And that’s without even accounting for Deshaun Watson as he rehabs. Shedeur’s behind Super Bowl MVP Flacco, former first-rounder Pickett, and even third-round rookie pick Dillon Gabriel. That’s a wild fall for a guy some thought could be a top-ten pick and a legit future starter just a few months ago.

Sanders definitely made some noise during early practices; we all remember those OTA clips. But NFL scouts aren’t always swayed by highlight throws. Sanders and Gabriel came into the offseason just trying to survive Cleveland’s crowded QB room. With Flacco and Pickett locked in a battle for the starting gig, the rookies were basically auditioning for a roster spot. And so far? Gabriel has impressed. Thanks to his smoother progressions, better grasp of the playbook, and that dual-threat upside, he’s sitting ahead of Sanders.

Sanders? Still battling some of the red flags scouts pointed out before the draft. Holding onto the ball too long and struggling to work through progressions being his biggest downsides. He’s mostly been stuck with mop-up reps in team drills and hasn’t seen much, if any, time with the first team.

But wait, Gabriel isn’t safe either. It looks like the Browns might already be eyeing life after both rookies. If neither Gabriel nor Sanders makes a strong case by the end of 2025, the Browns might look at alternatives. NFL draft analyst Mark Stolte even predicted the team might use one of its two first-round picks to go after South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers.

It’s a guy he called “potentially franchise-changing.” If you look at his 2024 stats, you’d understand why. 2,534 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, plus 674 yards and 7 scores on the ground. Add in his 6’3″, 240-pound build and out-of-this-world athleticism. The kid is a freak.

You’d call out the Browns’ poor decision-making for what they’ve done with the rookies, but when you hear about the QB1 battle? More of the same, if not worse.

Stefanski yet to name a leader in QB warzone

Shedeur Sanders is last on the depth chart, yes. On paper, at least. For now. The Browns haven’t officially named a starting QB heading into camp, leaving Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders all technically in the mix. On paper, that sounds like good old-fashioned competition. But let’s be honest, this is starting to feel less like “may the best man win” and more like “we have no idea who the guy is”.

Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry made headlines trading for Kenny Pickett this offseason. But the bigger story? It’s what they didn’t do. The Browns passed on Pickett’s fifth-year option, which would’ve cost them $22.4 million and kept him around through 2026. A move that translates roughly to: “Yeah, we like you… But we’re not all-in.”

And of course, there’s Pickett. He’s linking up with Jerry Jeudy, saying all the right things about competition, trying to reset. But fans haven’t forgotten how messy things were in Pittsburgh, where he was basically thrown under the bus from day one. Barely any legit first-team reps, stuck in that disaster of an offence with Matt Canada, and never given a real shot to grow. The Browns may believe in his upside, but they’re clearly unwilling to hand him the job.

And all of this brings us back to Stefanski and this whole quarterback limbo. By refusing to name a starter, he’s basically thrown everyone into a giant “prove-it” cage match. Stefanski hasn’t backed any of them publicly. Not even a hint. And that kind of silence? It says more than any press conference ever could. It makes you seem unsure, and it is not at all a good look.