Cleveland has a very interesting situation on its hands
One of the biggest storylines leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft — and increased exponentially throughout the three-day event — surrounded Shedeur Sanders and when he would be picked. On Saturday afternoon, after four rounds, 143 selections and five quarterbacks taken off the board, we finally got our answer when the Cleveland Browns traded up to take the prolific college quarterback with the 144th overall pick in Round 5.
While we now know where Sanders got selected and which team drafted him, a new question has emerged involving the former Colorado star: What’s next for Sanders, the Browns’ other quarterbacks and their quarterback situation in general? To find that answer, we went through each signal-caller attached to the team and what the future could look like for each.
Along with Sanders, the Browns also have fellow quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland also still has Deshaun Watson, but the former Pro Bowler’s 2025 season is in jeopardy after he reinjured his Achilles back in January.
Watson is signed through the 2026 season, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be re-signed. The Browns have two first-round picks in next year’s draft, so they’ll likely be in an ideal position to select a quarterback early if they choose to do so.
Kenny Pickett
In theory, Pickett has the best shot at being the Browns starter when the 2025 regular season starts. He’s still young (26), has experience with 25 career starts under his belt (15-10 in those starts with a 13-4 record in his last 17 starts that saw him play the majority of the game) and has already started learning the Browns’ playbook. Pickett had already starting working out with Pro Bowl wideout Jerry Jeudy prior to Cleveland trading for him.
Pickett is the most logical choice, but the Browns may go in a different direction if only for the sole purpose of saving face. Pickett would also probably be the most logical trade option if Cleveland went that route.
The Browns would get skewed if they traded either Gabriel or Sanders, so the odds of that happening are slim to none. Gabriel, after all, was a third-round pick, and they could have instead used that pick to deepen their receiving corps. Trading Gabriel would draw heaps of criticism unless the Browns got something substantial in return.
A former first-round pick, Pickett has simultaneously had some of the best and worst luck since being drafted back in 2022. While he won a Super Bowl while playing for his childhood team (Eagles) last season, Pickett didn’t last long with his first NFL team (Steelers) and he could be the odd man out in Cleveland due to outside factors.
There is still a chance Pickett does end up being the Browns’ QB1 this season. Cleveland’s draft selections of Gabriel and Sanders, however, made that scenario less likely.
Joe Flacco
Unlike Pickett, the Browns’ selections of Gabriel and Sanders increased Flacco’s odds of being Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
At 40, there’s little chance the Browns would be able to trade Flacco, who two years ago helped lead them to the playoffs after replacing an injured Watson late in the season. That experience likely compelled the Browns to re-sign Flacco this offseason, and it’s a reason why they may turn to him to lead the offense again.
If he gets another shot at leading the Browns’ offense, the best-case scenario is that Flacco plays well and leads Cleveland to a nice season that may or may not end up in a playoff berth. Worst case, Flacco and the Browns struggle, which would put Cleveland in a prime position to select the top-ranked quarterback (which at this point is projected to be Texas QB Arch Manning) in 2026.
Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel and Pickett are the two most likely trade options for the Browns, who surely won’t keep four quarterbacks on their roster when the regular season starts. Gabriel’s status as a third-round pick should give him more security over Pickett, who was acquired from Philadelphia earlier this offseason in exchange for former Browns backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
The most likely scenario for Gabriel is him competing to be the Browns’ primary backup quarterback behind either Flacco or Pickett. That should lead to a compelling position battle with Sanders, who was ranked ahead of him in virtually every pre-draft prospect ranking.
There is a chance that Gabriel is traded if he plays well in the preseason and a team makes the Browns a reasonable offer for him. But what’s reasonable? Given the fact that he was a third-round pick, a team would probably have to give up a decent amount for a rookie quarterback who is considered a project. That happening is about as likely as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hiring a general manager.
Shedeur Sanders
Sanders clearly has the most upside as far as what 2025 could look like for him in Cleveland. Worst case, Sanders doesn’t make the 53-man roster and gets sent to the practice squad. Less worse: He spends the season as the third-string quarterback while learning the ropes from Flacco, a consummate pro who has enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the NFL. Best case, though, Sanders ascends to starting quarterback, either in Week 1 or sometime after that.
Most quarterbacks selected in the fifth round aren’t looked at as Day 1 starters, but Sanders is no ordinary fifth-round quarterback. He was arguably the most well-known player in this year’s draft and initially expected to be a top-five pick. And despite his meteoric fall to the fifth round, there is still a belief that Sanders can start as a rookie.
If that ends up happening, Sanders will need to make some improvements in a hurry, especially when it comes to his footwork and performance while under duress. There are also the normal rookie challenges of learning the playbook and getting acclimated to the speed of the NFL game.
Sanders will likely come to Cleveland with the expectation that he will spend the year as a backup, but that could certainly change if a few variables — both in and out of his control — come to fruition. It’ll be very interesting to see how this all plays out.
Deshaun Watson
As noted above, the Browns probably won’t re-sign Watson once his current deal expires. There’s also a very strong chance Watson has already played his final down in Cleveland if his Achilles injury sidelines him for the entire 2025 season.
Even if Watson recovers in time to play this season, it’s very possible the Browns may decide to keep him shelved while finishing the season with whomever is their starting quarterback at that point. There’s not a scenario where it would make sense to start a quarterback who hasn’t played in over a year, especially one who has had so little success in recent years.
A big question is what the Browns will do with Watson in 2026. It will likely be answered by what unfolds this season and during the 2026 NFL Draft. At this point, the two most likely scenarios would be Watson either serving as a bridge quarterback or as a backup for his successor.
Watson has two years remaining on his current contract. Cleveland likely won’t release him this year as it would cost them $173 million in dead cap charges, per ESPN. That number would shrink to $53 million, however, if they decide to cut him after the 2025 season. While that’s a much smaller number, that’s still a lot of money to give up, which is why Watson will still probably be on Cleveland’s roster in 2026.
