As the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle continues, Shedeur Sanders is the only candidate who has not worked with the first team.
Shedeur Sanders Talks Browns QB Battle
LIVE: Select coaches and players speak to the media https://t.co/iUXIUgSaMz
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 25, 2025
Four quarterbacks — Sanders, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel — are competing for the starting job in Cleveland. Only Sanders has not taken reps with the first team through two days of practice.
When asked about the lack of first-team reps, Sanders said it’s out of his “control.”
“I don’t think that’s my place to answer, to give the answer to that,” Sanders told the media on Friday when asked about his practice opportunities (via the Browns X account). “I feel like that it’s not in my control, so I’m not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is. There’s a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I’m here, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is.”
There is only a finite number of wide receivers who can catch balls from each of the four quarterbacks. Because of this, Sanders has found himself throwing to members of the equipment staff during drills.
Throwing to the Browns’ staff might affect certain quarterbacks. Not Sanders, who’s choosing to focus on the work.
“It doesn’t really faze me,” Sanders said. “We came all the way from an HBCU to a Power 5, and now we’re here. So at this point, if you look, there’s nothing that’s a challenge, I would say.”
Who Will Start At Quarterback For The Browns?
#Browns QB coach had some high praise for Kenny Pickett’s first 2 days of camp pic.twitter.com/jfxWNA1rWc
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 25, 2025
Despite being an open competition for the job, there is a leader in the clubhouse to start at quarterback for the Browns in Week 1.
If the season started tomorrow, Pickett would be the candidate to get the first crack at quarterback.
Per SI’s Angela Miele, Pickett led the first-team offense in 11-on-11 on Thursday. He then split reps with Flacco on Friday.
Pickett is looking to resurrect his career after spending last season as the backup quarterback for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.
The Browns play their first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 8, against the Carolina Panthers. That will be the first clue as to who’s winning the quarterback battle.
