When Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media on the opening day of Browns training camp, he set forth a vision: “Ultimately, we’d love to make decisions sooner than later.” He spoke like every coach speaks in July. He also spoke about “putting our guys in a position where we can evaluate them,” but those initial words meant something. Cleveland’s quarterback puzzle was one of the NFL’s most congested puzzles. The road to clarity was the promise. Two weeks on, that clarity has effectively disappeared, and frustration is building around the quarterback Kevin Stefanski is refusing to recognize as a genuine contender.

“I truthfully don’t know what to think. I don’t know what the actual thought process is going in,” 92.3 The Fan host Jake Vulinec said in response to word that Cleveland is signing veteran quarterback Tyler Huntley. “The timing doesn’t add up.” Huntley, who has starter experience as a backup QB mostly in Baltimore and then in Miami last year, wasn’t signed to be Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett‘s nemesis. But his signing just days after Shedeur Sanders was temporarily sidelined with arm fatigue has the feel of a statement, and not one that’s sitting well with the Cleveland media.

This week’s signing of Huntley is only the latest turn in a summer story already generating Kirk Cousins–Mike Penix levels of scrutiny. Stefanski’s reluctance to show any public support for Sanders. A rookie who drew national headlines for slipping to the fifth round has baffled observers who expected a genuine quarterback competition. Instead, Flacco and Pickett have rotated first-team reps, Dillon Gabriel has gotten reps with the twos, and Sanders has been largely boxed out, working with the third and fourth units. Despite having Pickett temporarily knocked out by a hamstring pull, Sanders didn’t experience any genuine increase in role or precedence.

This cacophony between what Stefanski reports and what’s transpiring has only increased daily in volume with camp. Though Flacco is still the assumed Week 1 starter, and Pickett is No. 2., it’s Sanders, arguably the most interesting long-term prospect in the room, who appears to be a casualty of a predetermined depth chart. It feels like he’s being frozen out. At no point has he ever gotten a serious look, regardless of the situation.

Deion Sanders‘ son, Sanders, was not only a media favorite in the draft process. He was a record-breaker who had his number retired at Colorado. Playing in an offense that routinely asked him to shoulder the load behind a line that struggled. His poise, mobility, and vision impressed several NFL scouts. But size and durability issues were compounded by questions over his attitude, prompting a slide that most fans considered unjust. Cleveland signed him in the fifth round, but if the use of training camp is any measure, that investment already stands marginalized.

Stefanski reshapes the room, but clarity is still missing

The Browns posted their first preseason depth chart on Monday. And the pecking order didn’t catch anyone who’d been through camp off guard. Joe Flacco is listed as the starter, with Kenny Pickett as his No. 2. Dillon Gabriel is at third, and Shedeur Sanders rounds out the group at fourth. Missing was Tyler Huntley, but his function is assumed to be that of a camp arm and not as an actual competitor.

Even so, his signing speaks to the Browns’ increasing reliance on healthy bodies. Pickett’s hamstring knock kept him sidelined for a week, and Gabriel has missed time with the same affliction. With preseason reps dwindling and Friday’s opener versus the Panthers on the horizon. Huntley serves as insurance, but also causes more turmoil in an already messy room. That space, in Stefanski’s view, is very fluid. “It’s a process,” he stated last week when questioned regarding the depth chart timeline. He understood the value of having a leader defined sooner rather than later. But his actions are much more cryptic.

Sanders’ short weekend absence with arm soreness made matters worse. While he practiced on Monday, the reps didn’t increase, and the story didn’t change. Sanders is being utilized cautiously, protected from even low-leverage snaps. The upcoming preseason games may present a small window of opportunity. But barring a dramatic shift, it’s clear Stefanski’s QB plans were written in pen before camp even began. “This just feels like they wanted a guy who isn’t rookie in the camp,” Vulinec added. “It just doesn’t add up.”

Whether Stefanski is merely shielding a rookie or not wanting to stir up controversy. The argument among local voices is well-made. Shedeur Sanders wasn’t given an actual opportunity. And if that is the case, the Browns can be sure they’ll be answering much worse questions in September.