Cleveland native and future NFL Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce has never played for the Browns organization, but he continues to care about it while making history with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kelce, a growing global celebrity, announced his engagement to worldwide pop star Taylor Swift on Tuesday, August 26. One day later, he appeared on the latest edition of his hit “New Heights” podcast with his brother and former NFL center Jason Kelce to talk about the quarterback competition that has unfolded in Cleveland.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced earlier this month that 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco would be the starter. The team recently traded former No. 2 QB Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for a fifth-round pick, then elevated rookie Dillon Gabriel to the backup position and slotted Shedeur Sanders in as the QB3.
Sanders, the son of legendary NFL cornerback Deion Sanders and a celebrity in his own right over the past couple seasons at Colorado and through a tumultuous draft process this spring, has inspired several strong opinions in each direction about how good he is and how Cleveland should employ him. Kelce offered his own thoughts on the matter Wednesday.
“Put him in coach! Give the people what they want. The world wants to see him go out there and not only play, but have success,” Kelce said. “At this point, guys are rooting for him. This isn’t anything against Dillon; this isn’t anything against Joe. I’m just saying the excitement is there for him to go out there. He’s going to put eyes on the screen. He’s going to bring people to the game. It is what it is. I would love to (expletive) see it, man.”
Kenny Pickett Trade Moves Shedeur Sanders 1 Step Closer to Starting for Browns
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Pickett trade should prove good news for both Gabriel and Sanders, who are now more likely to see action as starters at some point in 2025.
Both men will need to prove themselves this season if they hope for a long future in Cleveland, as the Browns own two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, which is going to boast at least two or three signal-callers with franchise QB potential.
Flacco is likely to start at least six games if he remains healthy, as the team faces the Cincinnati Bengals to open the campaign before five consecutive contests against playoff squads from last year. He may remain in that role longer if Cleveland proves competitive or if the coaching staff doesn’t consider Gabriel or Sanders ready to step into a starting role by Week 7.
Shedeur Sanders Faded After Strong Start to Preseason Action
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders is only going to get a chance to start for the Browns during his rookie campaign if injury and/or poor play requires Cleveland to pull Gabriel from the lineup.
And Gabriel is only going to get a chance to start if injury, poor play and/or the Browns falling out of playoff contention opens up a reason for the team to demote Flacco.
It looked as though Sanders had a chance to usurp Gabriel’s spot on the depth chart after a solid outing as the starter in Cleveland’s preseason opener. However, Gabriel started the next two games, while Sanders played just the second half of preseason contest No. 3 — and did so poorly.
The Browns open the year with a home game against the Bengals on Sunday, September 7.
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