The Cleveland Browns are looking for as many bites at the apple as possible in their search for a franchise quarterback, as evidenced by the team’s decision to draft two rookies in April.
That said, Dillon Gabriel arrived via the third round, while Shedeur Sanders landed in Cleveland by way of a fifth-round pick. Team owner Jimmy Haslam spoke to the team’s process in selecting Sanders earlier this week.
“If you’d have told me Friday night driving home, y’all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, ‘That’s not happening.’ But we had a conversation early that morning, and we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation,” Haslam said. “At the end of the day, that’s [GM] Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.”
Meanwhile, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland noted on July 21 that the Browns “think, from the neck up, [Gabriel] is a No. 1 pick.” The problem is that what a QB can accomplish with everything from the neck down has huge implications for his NFL ceiling.
All of this is to say the Browns don’t have an obvious home run in the QB room yet, and they know that. Cleveland owns two first-round picks in 2026, including that of the Jacksonville Jaguars, which should position the team to select one of the top couple of quarterback prospects next spring if it so chooses.
In the meantime, the Browns might consider another swing on a young, high-talent player who needs a change of scenery. One who might become available at some point ahead of the mid-season trade deadline or next offseason is Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Dillon Gabriel Should Get Chance to Start for Browns by Mid-Season
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett is probably going to start for the Browns in Week 1, while the other is a potential trade chip ahead of the season.
However, whoever wins the job is most likely going to serve as a meat shield for the rookies through the murderer’s row that is the first six weeks of Cleveland’s schedule. At that point, it may make sense for the Browns to transition to one of their rookies to see what they have. Given the distribution of reps throughout the preseason and each player’s relative draft position, Gabriel will likely get the first crack.
Based on that rough estimation of a timeline, Gabriel may only get two or three chances to start before the trade deadline arrives in early November. That, plus all the practice time until then, may be enough for the Browns to know what they have and what his future could be.
It’s more likely, though, that the team won’t look to move either of its rookie quarterbacks before next offseason. That could also prove the case for Richardson in Indy.
Anthony Richardson Isn’t Long for Indianapolis if He Doesn’t Prove Himself Early in 2025
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson is entering the third season of his $34 million rookie contract, and whatever team he’s playing for will need to decide by next May whether to exercise the fifth-year club option on that deal.
The Colts pulled Richardson for Flacco last season, and the young quarterback alienated the fanbase by asking out of a regular-season game on the basis of fatigue. The bridge isn’t totally burned, but it’s hard to imagine the relationships between Richardson and his team/the fans can take much more stress before finding real success.
Richardson and Daniel Jones are embroiled in a preseason battle for the starting job in Indianapolis. If Richardson loses it, he could be on the block before the year begins. But it’s more likely that the Colts don’t move Richardson until the deadline approaches or next offseason, assuming they decide to do so.
If Richardson wins the starting job ahead of Week 1, he’s still got to perform immediately if he wants a future in Indianapolis. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report predicted on Wednesday, July 30, that he won’t, naming the Richardson/Jones tandem as the most likely to lose their starting job once the year begins.
Anthony Richardson, Dillon Gabriel Trade Deal Could Make Sense for Both Browns, Colts
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
The Colts choosing to move on from Richardson (a reasonably strong possibility), and the Browns choosing to move on from at least one of their two rookie QBs by next spring (also a reasonable proposition) combine to set the stage for a potential deal between the teams.
Richardson is actually younger than both Gabriel and Sanders, despite having spent two years in the NFL already. He came in raw but with top-end talent both in terms of arm strength and mobility, with the Colts drafting him No. 4 overall in 2023.
Gabriel doesn’t have the same skill set from the neck down, but he already profiles as potentially a longterm backup who can step up in spurts when necessary. Gabriel heading into his second season and a third- or fourth-round pick might be a strong enough trade package to get a deal done that brings Richardson to Cleveland.
Kevin Stefanski is an offensive-minded head coach who has developed QBs successfully before. Richardson represents a heck of a canvass for Stefanski to create, while the Browns could also bring in another top-end, first-round player to compete with him for the starting job via their two draft picks next April.
Bites at the apple.
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