The Cleveland Browns open 2025 with a daunting six‑game stretch against 2024 playoff teams, and the QB puzzle remains front and center. Joe Flacco is the early starter, praised for leadership and familiarity with Kevin Stefanski’s system, but the move is pitched as a bridge, not a solution. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have shown promise in the preseason, each delivering scoring drives and touchdowns, yet the Browns aim to test whether either can be a franchise QB before the 2026 draft class fully arrives on the scene.
The club sits on a robust draft cache (two first‑rounders in 2026, nine picks total) and a growing QB pipeline, with names like Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, Nico Iamaleava, Cade Klubnik, and LaNorris Sellers circling as future options. The article argues Cleveland should give those rookies meaningful opportunities rather than cementing a short‑term fix with Flacco, who started five games in 2023 and helped push a playoff berth.
Gabriel and Sanders flashed upside in preseason, but the learning curve from college to the NFL is steep. The Browns need to balance immediate competitiveness with long‑term quarterback development, especially as the 2026 class looms larger and the roster evolves around a potential new signal‑caller. Flacco starts now, but the window for a true, durable solution remains wide open.
