The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition is nearing its end.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said as much on Monday, when he set a timeline to announce a starter.
Prior to Browns practice, Stefanski said he wants to get through this week of joint practices and their Week 2 preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles before making a decision on when to make a decision on QB1.
That means an announcement on the regular season starter should come down sometime around preseason Week 3.
That said, the proclamation for the announcement of who QB1 will be shouldn’t come as a total surprise. While the competition for the QB2 job still may be wide open, Joe Flacco sat out preseason Week 1 vs. the Carolina Panthers, an indicator that he may have the inside track to the starting job in Cleveland.
As for QB2, there are several names still in the mix. Both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are still dealing with hamstring injuries; Gabriel is expected to participate in some 11-on-11 work, while Pickett is ‘not quite there’ yet, Stefanski says.
That leaves the door open for Shedeur Sanders to potentially keep building his case this Saturday when the Browns face off against the Eagles.
Sanders had a positive first impression in his NFL debut, going 14-of-23 passing with 138 yards and two touchdowns as the Browns downed the Panthers 30-10.
Will Shedeur Sanders start vs. the Eagles?
Stefanski was mum on whether or not Sanders will get the ball to start again this weekend, but he did offer a little bit of a timeline for a starter announcement for the second preseason game vs. Philadelphia.
‘I’m not there on the game itself, by Wednesday, Thursday, I’ll have a better feel for the game, and how we’re going to handle that …. but I’m not there yet,’ he said.
Stefanski reinforced that the rookie will get reps in the matchup, but when those reps will come is unclear.
Complicating matters are the injuries to both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. Stefanski added that both players are making progress from their injuries.
Browns QB depth chart
Here’s how the Browns’ first unofficial QB depth chart looked:
Joe Flacco
Kenny Pickett
Dillon Gabriel/Shedeur Sanders
(IR) Deshaun Watson
Flacco was a healthy scratch for the first preseason game, likely offering a little bit of a clue as to who is leading the race in the QB competition in Cleveland.