The offseason storm clouds are dissipating as training camp and the preseason approach quickly. While all the franchises are brimming with optimism and hopes to ball out this new season, for the Browns, there’s a harsh reality check waiting. Picture this: A franchise haunted by decades of QB instability, finally finding a spark in a 40-year-old Super Bowl MVP, only to be told that winning with him might be the worst outcome for their future. It sounds like a paradox, but for HC Kevin Stefanski, this is the reality as they head into the 2025 season.

4 QBs gunning to be the top dawg, and another one peeking from the sidelines dropping mentorship bombs. The Browns’ QB room looks like a high-stakes poker table, and no one’s bluffing. Joe Flacco, the grizzled veteran who rescued Cleveland’s playoff hopes back in 2023, is back. But so is Kenny Pickett with the two rookies, Dillion Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The question isn’t who should start, but what should the team do to ensure they’re building something that lasts. Warren Sharp has an answer to this question, but it’s not all good news.

On a recent edition of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, NFL expert Warren Sharp showed up with a hot take. As Sharp sees it, the Browns are heading into some serious competition right from the start. The Bengals, Ravens, Packers, and Lions. That’s the lineup of pass defenses the Browns’ starter will have to go up against in the first month of the season. Sharp’s prediction against these matchups? “The Cleveland Browns are probably going to be lucky to win one game.” Sharp also notes that Joe Flacco is too old to be the franchise quarterback. He doesn’t have much high hopes for Kenny Pickett either. Instead of letting the vets run the play, Sharp believes this might be a good opportunity for the rookies to take the stage and see if they have the franchise QB potential. But what’s the plan for the Browns then?

As Sharp put it on the UCSS, the plan isn’t to try to win as many games as possible. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “My hope if I’m a Browns fan is that Joe Flacco doesn’t win a single game for me this year because he’s not the future and seven or eight wins does absolutely nothing for me. And you guys… it’s been over 30 years since you even won the AFC North.” The reason? Joe Flacco is a temporary solution, and there’s still the ‘26 season and the years after that to think about. Sharp further adds, “You need that franchise caliber quarterback. Either he’s on your roster and you got a steal and he’s Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, or you’re going to get him in 2026. But that has to be the goal in my opinion.”

Kevin Stefanski is facing a crossroads. On one hand, Flacco’s arm and experience transformed the Browns’ offense in 2023. In just 5 starts, he went 4-1 and threw for 1,616 yards and 13 TDs. On the other hand, the franchise’s long-term vision depends on finding and developing a guy who can lead for years, and not just one glorious season. If the Browns end this new season at the bottom of the list, they’ll get the first-overall pick for the next season. With that, they can finally get a franchise QB from the rich QB class coming in 2026. What will Stefanski do?

Win now, or build for tomorrow? – Kevin Stefanski’s conundrum

It’s not just Warren Sharp who views Joe Flacco as a band-aid solution. Even former NFL receiver James Jones had recently noted he preferred Pickett over Flacco. If not Pickett, “the only other option is Shedeur because I believe he’s the most-talented quarterback on that roster,” Jones noted. But sticking with Flacco would mean stalling the growth of the rookies, Gabriel and Sanders. They need preparation and opportunities to develop. Remember when the Browns drafted Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the 5th round? His career stalled not because he was a 5th rounder, but because he didn’t get enough opportunities to prove himself. As former Browns safety Tyvis Powell had noted, “Of course, he wasn’t going to look great. It’s not about being a fifth-rounder, it was about the preparation that player received to be ready to play.”

The Browns’ best hope for sustained success lies in giving their younger quarterbacks a real shot. Whether it’s Pickett, Sanders, or Gabriel, the franchise needs to find out what it has before it’s too late. As Stefanski himself hinted that nothing will be decided before September. Everybody will get a chance to compete. Although he signalled the door was open for everyone, Sanders notably didn’t get first-team reps. For Stefanski, developing his rookies would give the team a better chance in the future. We’ve seen this movie before. Think back to the Chiefs developing Patrick Mahomes or the Bills with Josh Allen. They invested in their rookies and are reaping rewards that last for years. If Sanders or Gabriel get the opportunity and show flashes of brilliance, the Browns could have a cost-controlled, high-upside starter for years. That’s a game changer by itself in the salary-cap driven league.

For the Browns and Kevin Stefanski, the ‘25 season won’t just be about wins and losses. Sabotaging Joe Flacco’s chances may sound harsh, but it could be a calculated gamble aimed at building the future. By betting on youth over experience, they’ll get a shot at rewriting their QB story and land a franchise guy. Either from the roster or from the draft next year. The only question is, what will the Browns do?