When camp opened, the question in Cleveland was simple: who’s QB1 in 2025? Would Kevin Stefanski tip his hand before preseason or keep everyone guessing? But fresh off a 22-13 preseason win over the Eagles, the HC made that one thing clear, which had everyone biting their nails. The Browns were ready to announce the QB1 ahead of the preseason Week 2 showdown. “Obviously, we will name a starter. It’s going to come this week,” Stefanski said.

And amidst the injury complications, where almost every quarterback is and has been sidelined due to an injury,  you don’t need a crystal ball to see the decision coming. Stafanski had to plant his flag. And he did. Heading into week 1, the Browns have their man. It’s Joe Flacco. Loud, clear, and undeniable. The Cleveland team made it official on Monday, August 18.

“Joe Cool leading the way 🫡,” the Browns broke the news on social media. “We’ve named Joe Flacco our starting quarterback.” It makes one thing clear: Shedeur Sanders won’t be the QB1 in the Week 1 showdown. The writing has already been on the wall: it just needed an official confirmation. It’s the second time Flacco will lead the Browns as their QB1. Following his 11-year stint with the Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP honors, Flacco had a rough patch.

After spending some time with the Broncos, the Eagles, and the Jets, Flacco finally reached Berea in 2023. Deshaun Watson was the QB1 at that time. But when he went down with a season-ending injury, Flacco took the helm. Expectations were low for Flacco. But the veteran put up 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and secured a postseason berth for the Browns. And yes, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year for leading the Browns with a 4-1 record.

Fast forward to now, and he’s back as the QB1 in Cleveland after a mediocre season in Indianapolis. He didn’t have too much competition when he signed with the Browns. But Cleveland ended up drafting Sanders and Dillon Gabriel just a couple of weeks after Flacco’s signing. The four-way QB competition in Berea raised many questions. Would it be Shedeu, Gabriel, or Kenny Pickett to lead the Cleveland team?

Then came the curveball. The QB room started crumbling like dominoes. First, Pickett with a hamstring. Then, Sanders—shoulder first, then an oblique. Gabriel didn’t wait long either, limping out with his own hamstring. Fast forward to now,  Stenfanski and the Browns just made it official that Flacco will start the regular season. But the 40-year-old can’t get too comfortable just yet. The rest of the QBs are waiting for the opportunity to step up whenever they are called upon.

Joe Flacco is the QB1, but not for the whole season

Ahead of the preseason Week 3 showdown, the Browns have surely confirmed Joe Flacco as the QB1. However, there is a wrinkle. The Browns and the NFL analyst, Tony Grossi, pointed out that “No indication in Browns announcement how long Joe Flacco will be their starting QB. Only mention the opening game. I wish not to read anything into that.” That’s something worth noting. After all, a trade doesn’t seem at the table at the moment.

That means, Pickett, Shedeur, and Gabriel will still compete to grab the QB2 role. To spice it up, Pickett has been limited in practice since week 1 of the training camp due to his hamstring complications. That makes the job easy for the pair of rookie quarterbacks. Considering Flacco may not start the whole season, we can expect either Shedeur or Gabriel to step in whenever Stefanski and Co. call either of them. And the logic tracks.

The Browns are 2-0 in the 2025 preseason. All thanks to Shedeur and Gabriel. The Colorado Buffaloes’ product led the Cleveland team to a 30-10 win over the Panthers. Along the way, the rookie also recorded 14-of-23 for 138 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Meanwhile, when Shedeur Sanders injured his oblique ahead of the second preseason game, Gabriel grabbed the opportunity.

The QB managed to turn heads despite a pick-six against the Eagles. Gabriel completed 13-of-18 passes for 143 yards with zero TDs. With that being said, expect either Shedeur or Gabriel to step in at any point in the regular season. After all, the Browns haven’t confirmed how long Joe Flacco will start in 2025.