Joe Flacco was never pushed in Browns' QB competition despite Shedeur Sanders buzz, per report

It was advertised as the most entertaining quarterback battle in the NFL, but maybe it really wasn't. On Monday, the Cleveland Browns announced that Joe Flacco would be QB1 when they kick off the season vs. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. 

Flacco was always viewed as the favorite to win this job, but how much pressure was he really under? NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported that Flacco never really got pushed over the course of the past few months by Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett or Tyler Huntley, and was the clear starting quarterback all the way through the summer.

It's a pretty notable report. We don't know how these quarterbacks handled themselves behind the scenes, but the rookies received very fair chances to flash their potential in the first two weeks of the preseason.

In Week 1, Sanders got the start with Gabriel and Pickett sidelined due to hamstring injuries. The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders impressed, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Sanders played into the second half and made a couple of legitimate NFL throws, showed his ability to dodge defensive linemen and look poised in what was the most highly-anticipated preseason game in quite some time. Sanders is used to the bright lights and the big stage, and that certainly showed itself in his first NFL action.

Unfortunately, Sanders was unable to build off that preseason performance, as he suffered an oblique injury prior to the Browns' Week 2 exhibition matchup vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. With Sanders and Pickett out due to injuries, we went from the "Shedeur Showcase" to the "Gabriel Game."

In the 22-13 victory over Philly on Saturday, Gabriel completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and one interception that was returned for a touchdown. It was not a bad outing, but the unusual interception will stand out in fans' minds. 

Overall, Gabriel looked like the prospect he was advertised to be: an experienced quarterback that was going to run a system and look effective when not under pressure. Gabriel is lacking when it comes to physical gifts, but he can run an offense. CBS Sports' Jared Dubin even believes Gabriel had a top three rookie QB outing in Week 2 of the preseason.

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Jared Dubin

With Flacco named the starter, the question is what happens now? Who is the backup? Could Pickett be trade bait or the legitimate second-string QB? Will the Browns really keep four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster? It would be surprising if Cleveland just simply cut Gabriel or Sanders. The organization was high enough on Gabriel to select him at No. 94 overall, while Sanders would attract trade interest if the Browns wanted to go that route.

Another question to ponder is how long of a leash will Flacco have? He won Comeback Player of the Year with the Browns in 2023 after going 4-1 as the starter and guiding Cleveland to the playoffs, but Flacco is now 40 years old. The Browns matched an NFL record by starting five different quarterbacks in 2023. Could we see four this year? Fans certainly hope not.