NFL executives appear to be even lower on Browns QB situation than fans

The Cleveland Browns' stellar preseason opener was the talk of the town last week. Shedeur Sanders lit up the Carolina Panthers for two touchdowns in under two quarters of action, laying to rest — if only for a moment — the constant criticism he has faced since falling all the way to the fifth round in April's NFL Draft.

That said, Sanders is QB4 on the Browns' depth chart at full strength. Maybe QB5, when factoring in Deshaun Watson. As fun as it is to project Cleveland's rookies, odds are a veteran will line up under center in Week 1 of the regular season. The Browns' QB battle is really a two-horse race between 40-year-old Joe Flacco and 27-year-old Kenny Pickett.

Neither has received overly positive reviews out of camp, but the Browns want to contend this season. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, NFL executives don't appear very confident in what the Browns are cooking up at quarterback. In a poll of current and former GMs, front office execs and a variety of coaches, The Athletic ranked all veteran quarterbacks with starting equity in the NFL.

Cleveland did not perform well.

Joe Flacco 31st, Kenny Pickett 34th in NFL quarterback rankings

Joe Flacco ranks 31st among NFL quarterbacks according to front office execs and coaches. Factor in the absence of rookies, such as Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, or even Flacco's own teammates, and he might be even lower in their estimation.

"Flacco has no regard for ball security, so you don't know when he is going to throw into a crowd," one offensive coach told The Athletic. "He's going to make some throws because of that, but he's also going to have bad plays and turnovers."

My favorite quote comes from an anonymous defensive coordinator: "He's still playing?"

Flacco still has a major arm and he brings ton of corporate knowledge to the Browns offense. He was extremely successful, at least relative to expectations, in 2023, his last stint with Cleveland. There's a reason the Browns brought him back. Turnovers will be a problem and Flacco can no longer move around the pocket, but he stands tall and fires into traffic with fearlessness, which are admirable enough qualities.

Still, he's a backup on roughly 30 other teams (sorry, New Orleans).

Kenny Pickett falls even lower — as he should. After a doomed stint as Pittsburgh's faux object of hope, Pickett spent last season as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philly. It was a good learning experience and he won a Super Bowl ring with his childhood team, so I doubt he's complaining. But he made it clear that he wants to reenter the starting mix with Cleveland.

NFL execs, however, are skeptical.

"I liked Pickett coming out of college, but he really collapses in the pocket, he doesn't like to get people around him," an offensive coach told The Athletic.

"I was never a big Pickett guy," a defensive coordinator said. "When they had success against us, it was because of their run game and defense."

A weak arm and poor pocket presence severely limits what Pickett can accomplish on the field. He does minimal damage with his legs and he simply does not operate with the necessary confidence to lead a winning offense. Flacco will throw more interceptions, no doubt, but he will also engineer more explosive plays, which is why he is Cleveland's best bet (among the vets).

Browns rookies have a chance to crash QB room

Rarely do we seed third- or fifth-round picks start as rookies, but both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders should get their chances to leave an impression, especially if Flacco and/or Pickett struggle out of the gate. Sanders' excellent preseason debut was a great first step. If he can follow that up against a much tougher Eagles defense, Browns coaches will start to take notice.

Neither Flacco nor Pickett project as long-term options, so Cleveland has every incentive to let at least one of the rookies cut it loose at some point — especially if the season starts to go bad. Whether it's Gabriel or Sanders in pole position remains to be seen, but do not be shocked if The Athletic's 2026 QB rankings feature a Browns youngster inside the top 30 somewhere.