The Browns will name their starting quarterback this week, HC Kevin Stefanski said, and we all know who it is. By the process of elimination, it’s rather clear whom Cleveland viewed as its starter all along, or at least the most likely. I’m sure they held out hopes one of the younger players might catch lightning in a bottle, or simply flash.
Although we saw flashes from Shedeur Sanders, he is now dealing with an injury. If he doesn’t make it into the final preseason game, there is no chance for him. And the Browns will name their starting quarterback before the third preseason game, yet they’re not sure he will even practice. It all adds up to one obvious answer for anybody who has paid attention.
“We’re working towards Week 1, that’s part of what this week is about, getting our football team ready”, Stefanski said about his timeline for naming the Browns’ starting quarterback. “We’ll make all those types of determinations in the next couple days”.
Realistically, he probably made the determination some time ago, barring some significant change of plans based on evidence. Joe Flacco will be the Browns’ starting quarterback, one of the reasons he hasn’t even played in the preseason. He’s been the only quarterback who has been healthy the entire time, on top of that. And he is also the one who could most afford to miss time, yet did not.
“Obviously, we will name a starter”, the Browns head coach added when pressed further on the quarterback question. “It’s going to come this week. We still anticipate all of our players, whether you’re a starter or not, to prepare like you’re the starter. And knowing all of our players in that room, that’s exactly what they’ll do”.
This reads more like a head coach saying he needs to tell his team first what’s up before the media. Let’s face it, Dillon Gabriel isn’t going to be the starter, and Kenny Pickett has barely practiced due to injury. He has shown the Browns absolutely nothing to merit a starting quarterback job. Granted, he hasn’t had the chance, but availability is the greatest ability of all.
Shedeur Sanders admittedly had a strong preseason debut, that much we can grant. But we also have to acknowledge that he is a rookie who is missing critical time right now, including, likely, the final preseason game. Not even the Browns, I think, would name a rookie a starting quarterback after one preseason game.
So Joe Flacco it is, I expect Cleveland to make official later this week. All offseason long, we have heard nothing but positive reports about how he looks. Now, that doesn’t mean the Browns can’t reverse course in-season and change out their starting quarterback. And if they do that for anybody, realistically, right now it would have to be Sanders. For now, though, it seems very likely Flacco returns to the AFC North as a starter, for the third time.
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