- NFL. Micah Parsons is facing trade whispers while the Cowboys wait for Jerry Jones to make a move, forcing their rivals to act
- NFL. The Cleveland Browns will only use Shedeur Sanders to land a Josh Allen in the 2026 Draft
The pressure is growing stronger every day at the Cleveland Browns' training camp, especially at the quarterback position, since that unit looks completely different from what the franchise had last season. Well, Deshaun Watson is still there, but he's injured and will very likely never play for the Browns again.
The Browns' project with Deshaun Watson was a complete failure. After giving him a five-year, $230 million contract in 2022, practically nothing has happened. Now, Cleveland has four quarterbacks competing for the starting job: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.
The belief around the Cleveland Browns, despite Head Coach Kevin Stefanski saying it's an "open competition," is that Joe Flacco is the frontrunner due to his experience and will be the starting QB in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It's worth noting that Flacco is a 17-season veteran and just a couple of years ago led the Browns to the playoffs.
Veteran offensive lineman Joel Bitonio spoke about Shedeur Sanders and the Browns' quarterback room
One of the Cleveland Browns' leaders, Joel Bitonio, has not shied away from the topic of Shedeur Sanders and the team's quarterback unit. Bitonio has been named to the All-Pro team five times, including two First-Team selections (2021 and 2022), making him an authoritative voice when it comes to discussing the franchise.
Bitonio was asked how important it is for Kevin Stefanski to choose and start the best quarterback to win this season, and he responded:
"We want the best player to compete and, you know, we understand the team has a responsibility to the future years, but I think as the season starts, we're going to put the best players on the field and try to win as many games as possible."
However, Bitonio didn't name names, though he clearly implied that Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are the best current options. He also noted that Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are strong prospects for the franchise's future, but between now and September, many things could change.
On the other hand, Kevin Stefanski still refuses to commit to any quarterback for the season, stating that the OTAs are simply for building the team's foundation.
"I think the offseason program is really about building a foundation, and that applies to both the players and the scheme. We want to make sure we have an identity that is unique to us. So, a lot of this is about building that foundation now so that when we get to training camp, we can build on it."
The Browns' training camp saga still has many stories left to unfold, so it will continue to be interesting day by day.