The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback hierarchy is still unsettled.
Joe Flacco appears positioned to be the Week 1 starter, though the team hasn’t made any official announcement.
Behind him are Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Tyler Huntley, and even Deshaun Watson, who has returned to throwing.
This uncertainty has sparked plenty of debate about how the season might unfold.
Analyst Jason Smith said he believes the situation could turn chaotic.
“Five guys will start at quarterback for the Browns this year, all five guys,” Smith said, via FOX Sports Radio.
The Jason Smith Show w/ Mike Harmon explains why ALL #Browns QBs will start this season!🤯 @howaboutafresca @SwollenDome
Jason Smith: " Five guys will start at QB for the Browns this year… ALL FIVE!"
Mike Harmon: "The potential for chaos is there, certainly Kenny Pickett is… pic.twitter.com/0N3d9pB8fx
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) August 14, 2025
Smith predicts Flacco will handle the early games but won’t keep the job all season. Whether through injury or poor performance, he expects Pickett to step in as the next option.
If Cleveland stumbles to a very poor start, Smith said the conversation will change completely, and the front office would face a critical decision about the future.
That scenario opens the door for Sanders to take over, possibly sooner than expected.
Smith stated that injuries are inevitable, and the pressure to see Sanders will become too strong to resist.
He said playing Gabriel ahead of Sanders wouldn’t make sense for anyone.
Sanders would get his opportunity to start several games, but Smith doesn’t see it lasting either.
Gabriel would eventually receive his chance, likely after Thanksgiving, though only for a limited stretch.
In Smith’s most surprising prediction, he sees Tyler Huntley getting a start in Week 17 due to some unexpected circumstance.
He even suggests Pickett could become a trade candidate if other teams suffer a quarterback injury during the season.
Smith’s forecast of five starters represents the kind of instability that head coach Kevin Stefanski has worked hard to avoid.
After years of quarterback uncertainty in Cleveland, such a scenario would mark a significant step backward in the efforts to establish consistency at the position.
NEXT: Insider Raves About Browns Rookie
