The Cleveland Browns have a four-way race for their starting quarterback job.
They entered the offseason in need of help at the most crucial position in team sports, so they made sure to get as many options as they could to get things right this time around.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the Browns will solve the problem.
Analyst Matt Fontana recently predicted that they won’t give Shedeur Sanders a legitimate chance to win the starting quarterback job for Week 1.
“I’m pretty confident saying this, so I’m going to do it. Shedeur Sanders is not your Week 1 starter. He’s not, and I don’t think that’s going out on a limb. It’s just not going to be that way. Do I think it’s going to be Joe Flacco? Yeah, probably, and if it’s not going to be him, I really think it’s going to be Kenny Pickett, and that’s against how I felt. I’d rather start the rookies and get a view of these guys, and, frankly, tank the season out,” Fontana said.
"Shedeur Sanders is not your week 1 starter. He's not, and I don't think that's going out on a limb."
Do you agree with @MattFontana83 ?
Presented by @pureavNEO https://t.co/dk7tO9NOPU pic.twitter.com/jDgkfi3FUK
— Matt Fontana Show (@MattFontanaShow) June 16, 2025
That makes some sense, but what’s good for the team isn’t always what’s good for the people calling the shots.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry got to keep their jobs after the Browns won just three games last season.
The chances of them surviving another three-win season seem slim at best.
At first glance, it’s hard to believe that the Browns’ long-term answer at quarterback is on the roster.
But if it is, it’s even harder to believe that it would be Flacco or Pickett.
The Browns need to figure out what they have right now, as they have two first-round picks in the quarterback-heavy 2026 NFL Draft.
That means letting the rookies show what they can do, even if it leads to another difficult season.
NEXT: Insider Names Which Browns Rookie Is Facing 'Most Pressure'
