Browns Paying The Price For Past QB Decisions

No team has struggled to find a quarterback more than the Cleveland Browns.

It has been an issue since the team returned more than two decades ago, and unfortunately, it continues to be a problem today.

The failure has noticeably hurt their ability to field a competitive team, and the Browns are paying the price for their past QB decisions.

“The Browns have not one, not two, not three, but eight quarterbacks counting against their salary cap this year. This team has historically underinvested in QBs and ends up sending a lot of talent out the door (sometimes even to its divisional rivals). It’s hard for me to believe they’ll add yet another QB to the roster in the upcoming 2026 [draft]. Yet then again, this is what the Browns do,” Simon Erickson wrote on X.

The #Browns have not one, not two, not three…but EIGHT quarterbacks counting against their salary cap this year.

Active:
1) Dillon Gabriel: $1 million
2) Shedeur Sanders: $1 million

Inactive:
3) Deshaun Watson: $36 million (Youch!)

Traded/Dead Cap:
4) Jameis Winston: $2…

— Simon Erickson (@7Innovator) November 6, 2025

According to Erickson, the Browns’ quarterbacks against the salary cap this season are as follows: Dillon Gabriel ($1 million), Shedeur Sanders ($1 million), Deshaun Watson ($36 million), Jameis Winston ($2 million), Joe Flacco ($1 million), Dorian Thompson Robinson ($200,000), Bailey Zappe ($61,000), and Kenny Pickett ($8,000).

Some believe the Browns should give Deshaun Watson another opportunity once he recovers from his latest Achilles injury. However, given everything that has transpired, that seems increasingly unlikely.

Rookie Dillon Gabriel has yet to demonstrate he can be a viable NFL starter.

Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders has never been viewed as more than a low-end starter by many scouts.

The Browns have failed to find the right man for the job.

In addition, after watching some of their former quarterbacks thrive as soon as they leave, it’s extremely hard to trust the front office and coaching staff to do better in the future.