Where Shedeur Sanders, Browns QBs Are Listed on 1st Depth Chart Before Preseason

Shedeur Sanders is a fourth-string quarterback.

At least according to the Cleveland Browns' first unofficial depth chart.

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi shared the depth chart Monday, and attention naturally turned to the quarterback position. And the starting role, at least for now, belongs to veteran Joe Flacco.

He is followed by Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders in the four-man race.

Quarterback has been a question mark for the Browns for years, as Deshaun Watson has not lived up to expectations and is dealing with yet another Achilles injury.

Given that reality, Cleveland signed Flacco to a one-year deal in April.

Flacco played five games for the Browns during the 2023 season and became something of a fan favorite while going 4-1 and leading the team to the playoffs. Although the AFC North squad lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round, it was just its second postseason appearance since the 2002 campaign.

Bringing back the 40-year-old wasn't the only offseason move at the position, as the Browns acquired Pickett via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles and then selected Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Sanders selection in the fifth round was surprising and somewhat confusing since they had just taken Gabriel in the third round, but the front office surely saw it as a value pick since the Colorado signal-caller was seen by some as a first-rounder heading into the draft.

Sanders' fall became the biggest storyline of the draft, which means there will be plenty of attention on where he ends up on the actual depth chart ahead of the season.

Starting off as the fourth-stringer is surely not what he envisioned, but Cleveland is in the early days of training camp and hasn't even played a preseason game. How the quarterbacks perform in live-game action will likely go a long way toward determining where everyone slots in on the final depth chart.

The first chance for Sanders and Co. will come Friday when the Browns hit the road to face the Carolina Panthers. They also face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Aug. 16 and then host the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23.

It all builds toward the season-opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7, and it appears as if Flacco has the inside track to be under center for the first snap.