Not so fast, says Daniel Jeremiah.
The NFL insider and vaunted draft expert believes that the quarterback competition in Cleveland will be won by either Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel come Week 1.
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DJ appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and gave a bold prediction that it will be a rookie behind center when the Browns welcome Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to Northeast, Ohio to kick off the 2025 season.
“Talent-wise, I think both of those guys have a huge advantage over Kenny Pickett,” Jeremiah said.
“I think Joe Flacco is just in case you don’t think you can be competent at the position. Then you insert Joe.
“I think their Week 1 starter, I think it’s going to be one of those two rookies.”
The Browns drafted Gabriel with the 94th overall pick in the third round and then went ahead and took Sanders in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick.
It was a head-scratching move at the time, drafting two rookie QBs so close together, and remains an extremely intriguing situation.
Throw in veteran Joe Flacco and newly-acquired Kenny Pickett, and the quarterback room in Cleveland is one of the most fascinating in quite some time.
“I think you’ve got to learn this year,” Jeremiah said.
“Next year at this time they have to know what they have in those two rookies.
“They have to see them… you have to evaluate these two kids that you just drafted so before this next draft you have some clarity of what you have on campus.”
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It is a wide open competition.
With incumbent starter, Deshaun Watson, presumably out for the year, the QB1 spot is up for grabs, and Jeremiah believes one of the rookies will seize the opportunity.
Flacco has the best chance to be named Cleveland’s starter, as he’s been in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system before, even leading the Browns to the playoffs just two seasons ago.
That alone gives the 40-year-old an inside track for the job.
However, he still has to go out and earn it.
During the first few days of mandatory minicamp, Stefanski chose to give first-team reps to Flacco and Pickett, while the rookies worked with the second team.
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The sixth-year head coach told reporters not to look too much into it.
“Let’s not look too much into who’s out there and when,” Stefanski said.
“We’re in installation phase, we’re in teaching phase, so not much to look into.
“It’s the offseason. It’s OTAs, so we’re going to keep the focus there. Once you get into training camp, of course, you’re getting ready to play games and ultimately getting ready to play the season.
“But right now, that’s not our focus.”
There is less than three months from the start of the season, and right now in Cleveland, it’s anyone’s job.