Browns QB depth chart: Where Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco rank ahead of preseason game vs. Panthers

At no point since the end of the 2024 season has anyone fully understood the Browns' quarterback plans for 2025.

Already facing a tough road back to a starting job, Deshaun Watson took himself out of the mix when he re-tore his Achilles early in the offseason. First, Kenny Pickett entered the fray when the Browns acquired him from the Eagles at the start of free agency. Then came a deal to bring back veteran Joe Flacco, who became the presumed favorite to start.

The NFL Draft threw two more curveballs into any plans Cleveland might have made, with third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and surprise fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders both joining the organization.

The Browns entered training camp with four healthy quarterbacks on the roster and have since added a fifth as a few of them deal with nagging injuries. Is there any clarity on who might start against the Bengals in Week 1?

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Here's a look at the Browns' updated quarterback depth chart as the preseason gets underway.

MORE: What Tyler Huntley signing means for Browns' quarterback competition

Browns QB depth chart

The Browns released their first unofficial depth chart on Monday, before Tyler Huntley was signed, listing Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders in that order.

1. Joe Flacco

It's probably best not to take the Browns' unofficial depth chart too seriously. It's conveniently organized by experience level at the top, with the two non-rookies leading the way. Gabriel is naturally ahead of Sanders after being drafted two rounds earlier than the former Colorado star. 

For Flacco, however, training camp has treated him well, if only because he's the lone quarterback in that top four to stay completely healthy. Pickett has missed time with a hamstring injury, while Sanders and Gabriel recently battled minor injuries that limited them in practice.

Considering all three seem to be chasing Flacco, who knows Kevin Stefanski's offense, any missed practice reps aren't helpful. 

Flacco seems to be the leader in the clubhouse at the moment, as he was when training camp opened, but there is plenty of time for one of the three younger players behind him to start separating from the pack and challenging the 40-year-old. 

2. Kenny Pickett

Pickett went down with a hamstring injury early in training camp but has since returned to practice on a limited basis. The former Steelers starter's chances of starting in Cleveland diminished as more quarterbacks were brought in to compete, but his placement at No. 2 on the depth chart at least indicates the door is open, even if one of the rookies might offer more upside if Flacco doesn't start. Even after the injury, Pickett told reporters he is "100 percent" determined to win the Browns' starting job.

3. Dillon Gabriel

Gabriel was listed above Sanders on the Browns' unofficial depth chart, and that tracks with Gabriel being the only one of the two to see some reps with the first-team offense.

While training camp reports have indicated Gabriel hasn't set the world on fire, he was drafted two rounds earlier than Sanders was considered a fairly safe, career-backup type of quarterback prospect. It's also much harder to justify cutting a third-round rookie than a fifth-round rookie, though there isn't any indication the Browns are anticipating one of the two rookies not making the final roster in some form.

Gabriel figures to see heavy preseason action as long as he is healthy, but he is set to miss the Browns' preseason opener with a hamstring injury.

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4. Shedeur Sanders

Sanders, who briefly missed practice time with arm soreness early in August, was listed as the Browns' No. 4 QB on the team's first unofficial depth chart. By all accounts, Sanders has had a solid training camp to this point. While starting over Flacco in Week 1 may be a tall task, the preseason could allow him to quickly challenge or even jump Gabriel or Pickett on the depth chart as he gets his first opportunity to showcase his talents in a game.

Gabriel and Pickett are both set to miss the Browns' preseason' opener with Gabriel and Pickett both nursing hamstring injuries and Flacco not having much to prove at 40 years old. As long as Sanders' arm is healthy enough, he should get plenty of run in the preseason. 

5. Tyler Huntley

The Browns signed Huntley on Monday as a training camp body, with Pickett's status uncertain for the team's preseason opener and both Sanders and Gabriel battling minor injuries. The former Ravens backup spent the 2024 offseason with the Browns and played well in the preseason, but he was waived by Cleveland due to a glut of quarterbacks on the roster. After a brief return to Baltimore, Huntley signed with the depleted Dolphins and made five starts in place of Tua Tagovailoa. Huntley is highly unlikely to make the Browns' final roster, barring multiple injuries.