The Browns’ quarterback situation has been an unmitigated disaster since 2022, when they made the Faustian decision to let their former first overall draft pick, Baker Mayfield, walk out the door in favor of Deshaun Watson, signing the baggage-bringing QB to a staggering 100% guaranteed contract of $230 million. In a twist of karmic irony, after a rocky start in Cleveland, Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7 of last year.
To date, Watson has won only nine games for the Browns over the course of his three seasons with the team, meaning that the average price paid for such hollow victories exceeds $25 million per W.
In January, Watson re-injured his Achilles, which, aside from keeping him off the field, has allowed the Browns to explore other options at QB1. The problem the Browns face now is not a lack of quarterbacks, but the complete opposite: more than they can afford. In addition to bringing back fan favorite Joe Flacco and signing Kenny Pickett as a free agent, the Browns also added two rookie quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Including Watson, who seems motivated to retake the field at some point, this brings the number of quarterbacks on the Browns’ payroll to five.
With a limited number of roster spots as well as cap space concerns, Browns brass needs to make the difficult decision of letting at least one of them walk. The million-dollar question, though, is which one?
Joe Flacco Is the Frontrunner to Start in Week 1
The general consensus at this early point in the offseason is that veteran Joe Flacco will be the team’s starting signal-caller come week one of the regular season. Fans remember fondly how Flacco stepped into the role in 2023, going 4-1 in the Browns' final five games, not only carrying them to the playoffs but earning himself the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Flacco may be a safe bet at starter for now, but the newest additions to the Browns’ QB room are both looking to step into his shoes. In this year’s draft, the Browns picked up Dillon Gabriel, who boasts an impressive college resume and several FBS records to his name. Its highly unlikely that Gabriel will find himself on the chopping block, not only because of the promise he is showing at OTAs, but for the fact that if the Browns do decide to send him elsewhere, they would be all but admitting to the world that they wasted a valuable draft pick that could have been used elsewhere.
The talk of the town and the NFL as a whole has been Shedeur Sanders. In what many consider the steal of the draft, the Browns were able to land Sanders in the fifth round and, as a result, were able to sign him for pennies on the dollar. Even if the Browns are worried about available cap space, pushing Sanders out wouldn’t be the way to address the issue. Other players gobbling up even more cash are more likely to be moved instead. Conspiracy theorists postulate that the Browns might be playing some sort of 3D chess and that their genius plan is to trade Shedeur before the season starts for additional draft stock. Intriguing? Yes. Likely? No.
Kenny Pickett Is the Odd Man Out in Browns' Crowded QB Rotation
As Sherlock Holmes said, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." By that logic, that leaves the sole remaining quarterback, Kenny Pickett, as the odd man out.
The main argument many have for moving Pickett out is that he simply doesn’t fit into the crowded Browns equation. Brought in before all of the other additions, he now seems redundant and unnecessary given the competition. He lacks the proven poise of a veteran like Flacco while simultaneously amassing enough bad tape (15 TDs to 14 INTs) over his 25 starts to preclude the potential ascribed to Gabriel and Sanders.
Through this lens, every positive comment coach Kevin Stefanski heaps on Pickett seems like a thinly veiled attempt to pump up his trade value. The move makes sense from a dollars perspective too. Even though he’s only slated to make $2,623,350 this season, by sending him to greener pastures, the Browns could use that much-needed money elsewhere to shore up some glaring weak spots within their organization.
Things aren’t all bad for Pickett, though. There are plenty of teams that would be happy to have him and his signature gloves.
The Saints are hanging their hopes on rookie Tyler Shough with only Spencer Rattler to fall back on. If sent to the Big Easy, Pickett could add depth and experience as a recent Super Bowl Champion. Likewise, the Las Vegas Raiders are taking a chance on Geno Smith, but should he regress to his old ways, Sin City will be looking for a reliable alternative to take the reins. Another trade scenario could see Pickett headed to the Vikings, where their only option at the moment is JJ McCarthy, who sat out his entire rookie season due to injury. In this scenario, Pickett would have a real shot at winning the starting job, something out of his reach in Cleveland.
Down in Miami, the Dolphins have watched with growing concern the laundry list of injuries sustained by their starting QB, Tua Tagovailoa. In the event that Tua suffers another serious blow or even walks away from the game for good, as some have suggested he do, having Pickett waiting in the wings might be a good security net.
If all else fails, perhaps Pickett’s former coach, Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, will welcome him back with open arms, especially if Aaron Rodgers is otherwise occupied. Whichever course of events plays out, though, it's almost certain that one way or another, Pickett will be packing his bags soon and saying adieu to Cleveland.