Browns Stefanski said Dillon Gabriel is the backup quarterback.

Related players: Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco

This shouldn't come as a shock based on the way the Browns treated their QB rotation. The team's QB saga is over for now with the trading of Kenny Pickett. Deshaun Watson should be out for a most of this season, but things will again get interesting once Watson is cleared to play.

Browns are sending QB Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, per sources.

Related players: Geno Smith, Aidan O'Connell, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

As Schefter summarized, the Raiders needed another backup for Smith with O'Connell fracturing his wrist in the preseason finale and being expected to miss 6-8 weeks. As for the Browns, they had a logjam at the position so it makes sense Pickett would be the one moved. Now the Browns will need to settle their QB depth chart behind starter Flacco.

The Browns are naming QB Joe Flacco as their starter, the end of a training camp competition that never really was.

Flacco quickly emerged as QB1, while the others battled injuries. The player who led them to the playoffs in 2023 is back.

Related players: Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

This isn't really shocking news. The thing to watch will now be how the rest of the QBs align behind Flacco as we get closer to the season. Both Sanders and Gabriel didn't look bad in their preseason games in Weeks 1 and 2, but both have dealt with injuries. The team has a lot of options, and this will need to sort itself out by the start of the season. The Browns Week 3 preseason game could go a long way to determine the rest of the order.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders injured his oblique in practice today, early on, and will be evaluated. That may take him out of the next preseason game — the latest in a string of Cleveland nagging QB injuries.

Related Players: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel

Pickett is also sidelined at the moment, so the next preseason game might be between Gabriel and recently signed Tyler Huntley. We still expect Flacco to begin the regular season as the starter.

Ahead of camp, I believed there were dozens of ways the quarterback competition could play out. Two weeks before the preseason ends, it’s still impossible to predict much of anything outside of Joe Flacco probably being the opening-day starter.

Related players: Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel

The story went on to say, until we see Sanders get practice reps with the No. 1 offense, we can’t believe the Browns view him as having much of a shot to be the No. 2 when the season begins. The story added because of Pickett's injury, his time is running out to have a chance at the starting position. And the same can be said for Gabriel. The author said the coaching staff sees Gabriel ahead of Sanders in the pecking order, but the author said, "but rarely in training camp has that position matched what we’ve seen on the field." The author also added that "no reasonable person thinks Sanders will be fully ready to lead a team and consistently attack a complicated NFL defense three weeks from now." The story said Sanders has shown enough talent and growth and has a chance to develop into a starting-quality player. So while Flacco seems like a safe bet, with three other QBs in the mix it seems to be anyone's guess how the rest of the order shakes out.

Shedeur Sanders, the Browns’ fourth-team quarterback who has yet to take a snap with the first-team offense, is expected to start the game, a league source tells cleveland.com.

Related players: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Tyler Hundley

There may not be much news here to be quite honest. Both Pickett and Gabriel are dealing with injuries and Flacco doesn't need to see time in a preseason game ... so Sanders gets his chance. A lot was made about the Browns recently-released depth chart and so Sanders can maybe make a move upward with a solid performance. Recently-signed Tyler Hundley will also likely see time in the game.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders was held out of team drills Saturday due to shoulder soreness.

Sanders was getting more work in camp with Kenny Pickett out with a hamstring injury. His absence Saturday meant Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel took all the reps in practice. We'll see if Sanders misses any valuable practice time and what the Browns' plan is for him in the preseason. The Browns open the preseason Friday on the road against the Panthers.

The Browns placed quarterback Deshaun Watson on the active/physically unable to perform list, among several moves they announced Tuesday.

Watson underwent a second surgery on his torn Achilles on Jan. 10 and is not expected to be ready to practice for a few months. The Browns are expected to place him on reserve/PUP before the season, forcing him to miss at least the first four games.

Related players: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders.

The Browns are expected to place him on reserve/PUP before the season, forcing him to miss at least the first four games, the story said. It's been reported Watson will likely miss most or all of 2025. Gabriel and Sanders are two rookies who will battle with Flacco and Pickett for the starting job.