Shedeur Sanders’ chances of being the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns in 2025 are expected to take a major hit.
FanSided’s Lior Lampert predicts Cleveland will ditch Sanders, as well as Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel, by appointing Kenny Pickett as the Week 1 starting quarterback.
“Oddsmakers seemingly believe 40-year-old Joe Flacco will win Cleveland’s starting quarterback job, though he’s just as likely to get cut this summer. 2025 selections Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, but early signs are that neither is ready to handle that responsibility yet. That leaves Pickett, a former first-rounder with multiple years of experience running an offense,” Lampert wrote.
Pickett spent the 2024 campaign as Jalen Hurts’ backup on the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. The 27-year-old did appear in five games and started one contest, tossing two touchdowns to one interception with a 59.5% completion rate on the year.
Though Pickett is an average starting signal-caller at best, he could be the best option the Browns have on the roster as Deshaun Watson continues to rehab from surgery that will likely keep him out for the entire 2025 campaign. Rookies Sanders and Gabriel may not be ready to be starters, while Flacco is an aging veteran with little mobility who is way past his prime.
Despite not even taking a snap in a training camp practice or preseason game, Sanders’ future with the Browns is uncertain. The 23-year-old already has an uphill battle to earn consistent playing time, but there’s also a chance he doesn’t make the roster entirely.
If Pickett snags the starting spot, Sanders will have to prove that he is good enough to remain on the team as a backup, meaning he’ll have to beat out either a third-round pick in Gabriel or a Super Bowl winner in Flacco, depending on how many quarterbacks Cleveland decides to keep.
