The Cleveland Browns arguably have the most fascinating quarterback situations in the NFL. Despite the team announcing Joe Flacco as their starter in Week 1, who their No.1 option will be going forward remains up in the air.
For the most important position in team sports, that is not a place you want to be in if you are the Cleveland Browns. This level of uncertainty is not recommended in the QB room. In fact, the Browns are about to do something no one has done since 2021 and only four teams have done since 2013, according to CBS Sports.
And no, the #Browns aren't cutting Shedeur Sanders or trading Kenny Pickett: https://t.co/Ptqm0vzhRT
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 23, 2025
Browns Will Carry 4 QBs into 53-Man Roster
With the roster cutdown deadline on Tuesday, the Browns are on track to bring four quarterbacks to their final 53-man group. Team insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that this has always been the plan, and the Browns have no interest in moving on from any of their signal-callers anytime soon.
While this possibility has been discussed throughout the summer, most fans didn't believe it would become a reality. Trading Kenny Pickett, who seemingly has no chance of winning the starting role during the season, seemed like an obvious decision for the Browns' front office. Yet, it turns out head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry want to have Pickett, along with two rookies and Flacco, on the roster.
If Cleveland's season is off to a good start, then Flacco will continue to be the starter. If the team decides to pull the plug on the season and rebuild, then one of Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders will take over. The scenario in which Pickett gets to start doesn't seem plausible, deciding to keep him a real head-scratcher.
The track record of teams carrying four quarterbacks into the season is not good. The Saints were the last team to do it in 2021, but Taysom Hill was also utilized as a tight end there. Previously, it was the 2020 Jets, the 2016 Jets, the 2018 Dolphins, and the 2013 Commanders. None of these teams made the postseason.
Chances are, the Browns will suffer the same fate as these predecessors. There is a reason well-managed teams don't waste valuable roster spots on four quarterbacks. Browns fans would love to be proven wrong, but this has the makings of a decision that the team will eventually regret.