ROCKY RIVER — A quarterback competition always is a guarantee to raise the level of offseason discourse — good and bad — for any football team. It’s been no different for the Browns, who are choosing among four quarterbacks to be their opening-day starter.
The quarterbacks involved in the competition — former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco and former first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett, plus 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — have added to the interest. Sanders, specifically, has amplified the interest to even higher levels.
That makes every video clip or comment to come out of the Browns facility, especially now during the offseason program, like manna from heaven to those seeking that kind of content. It also means those clips or comments are parsed like the Zapruder film for clues.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he understands the interest. However, he’s not about to get caught up in the dialogue.
“I know in our day and age, one clip or one day or one practice can be all that gets out there to the public,” Stefanski said at the Cleveland Browns Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday, May 2. “I would tell you the guys are working extremely hard. They’re doing everything that we’re asking of them, and we’re very excited about all of our guys. I know a lot of attention goes to that quarterback room. I get it, that’s the most important position in football. But I’m really proud of all the guys for how hard they’re working really throughout this offseason.”
The Browns’ first open OTA of the offseason May 28 was devoured by many the way a starving person would a scrap of food discovered. Every throw by every quarterback, and every throw not taken by a quarterback, was parsed, charted and broken down.
It’s the first time, legitimately, the Browns have held an open quarterback competition since Stefanski was hired in 2020. Yet, for all of the outside noise generated, Stefanski’s working with a part of figurative earmuffs on when he walks into the building.
“I think external noise is nothing new in pro sports, and whatever the noise may be, and that’s kind of our job,” Stefanski said. “That’s the fun part for me, is I get to go into work and pull in and close the door and get to work and not focus very much on that. We understand that that exists. We understand that there’s a great interest in our sport. That’s what keeps us going is our fans’ level of interest in our sport. So I completely get that part, but it doesn’t factor into our day to day. We have a lot of work to do, and don’t really pay much attention to what’s going on outside.”
At that OTA, which was actually the second of three, the conversation centered around Sanders, who was the only quarterback on that day to not participate in the two 11-on-11 periods over the roughly 70-minute practice. He and Gabriel worked extensively on one field for 7-on-7s, while Pickett and Flacco worked 7-on-7s on the other field.
Stefanski said Monday, June 2, that Sanders was expected to get 11-on-11 reps during this week’s OTAs. That includes on Wednesday, June 4, the second of the first five to be open to the media.
“I would say there’s a lot of work that gets done when you guys aren’t out there, believe it or not,” Stefanski said. “But even that’s even in a meeting or in a walkthrough — our guys are getting exposed to a lot.”
That distribution of reps was in line with what Stefanski had said would be the case both entering the offseason program and at various times since it began. Specifically, it was in line with one key statement — that it was imperative not to read too much into what the specific order or number of reps are in a given day.
The first time the Browns will conduct multiple “open” practices this offseason will be June 10-12 for mandatory minicamp. That will provide a three-day stretch during which a better grasp could be gained on just how the quarterback competition is playing out and, just as important, how it’s being conducted.
“I think the big thing is, and we’ve talked about this, this is an all-encompassing evaluation,” Stefanski said. “We were evaluating the guys during phase one, during phase two, and now, finally, phase three, you get to go against your defense in some settings where our quarterbacks and our offense get to go against them in 7-on-7 and some team drills. So all of that adds up to reps for us to look at and it’s not just looking at the result of a play. We’re looking really at everything with these guys.”
Even that week won’t tell the whole tale. That’s not likely to happen until training camp begins in July, and even more likely it’s not until the Browns get the first two weeks of the preseason — as well as the joint practices with the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles — under their belts.
In fact, that stretch over the first two weeks in August may be even more important to any of the final decisions than what happens over the first two weeks of the final phase of the offseason program.
“I think as you guys know, there’s only so much you can do based on the rules, the constraints that you have, whether it’s 7-on-7 and teams,” Stefanski said. “So we try not to look too much into the result, just black and white, if that makes sense. Because there’s things that our defense isn’t doing and things that our offense isn’t doing to gain advantages, if that makes sense.
“So really it becomes, are you doing what you’re asking you to do? Are you using the proper technique? Are your decisions sound, and then the accuracy of which you throw it? So I’d say all of that adds up to really good work for our guys, and this is definitely part of learning how to get ready to play a game, too, because as much as we’re just working drills, ultimately you’re also getting ready for September as well.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kevin Stefanski dismisses public overreactions as Browns QB competition continues forward
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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