Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh says a source inside the Cleveland Browns facility told him that Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco are out of the quarterback competition.
According to Houshmandzadeh, the QB1 battle has narrowed to two players. Former first-round pick Kenny Pickett and Cleveland’s 2025 third-round selection Dillon Gabriel are the remaining candidates.
“I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel,” Houshmandzadeh said on ESPN Cleveland.
The quarterback situation has produced conflicting reports about Kevin Stefanski’s plans.
Browns receiver Diontae Johnson recently suggested Pickett and Flacco were the top contenders. He indicated Flacco could step in if Pickett struggled.
“I think I’m going to roll with Kenny for right now. I’m really seeing Kenny going on like right now with the ones, but then Joe will come in. I think they’re probably going to roll with him. Just like to see, like just coming off the season, he was with Philly and having a Super Bowl,” Johnson said during a mid-June episode of “The Comeback.”
“So I’d rather see, I think they’re going to stick with him through preseason and then, you know, they can live with what Joe comes and brings to the table.”
Sanders had been generating buzz as a potential starter until his recent speeding incidents shifted the conversation.
Gabriel’s standing in the competition remains unclear. Pickett appears to be gaining momentum in the quarterback room, while Flacco is being viewed as a backup option.
Sanders, meanwhile, has dropped to the bottom of Cleveland’s depth chart according to Houshmandzadeh’s source.
