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At the Cleveland Browns' training camp, the battle for the quarterback position rages on. Four players are competing for the job, and while there's been mutual respect so far, things could turn into a serious rivalry once head coach Kevin Stefanski makes his final decision.
Or perhaps it won't even be Stefanski's decision. Owner Jimmy Haslam has made controversial choices in the past - such as picking Johnny Manziel in the first round of the 2014 draft - and he might have had some influence in selecting Shedeur Sanders, especially considering the team had already drafted another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, two rounds earlier.
The truth is, it's very unusual for an NFL team to draft two quarterbacks in the same year. It has happened before, but it's rare. What's certain right now is that the competition between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders is drawing all the attention.
Joe Flacco got fewer Reps at minicamp
This week, during the Browns' minicamp, Joe Flacco's reps were reduced, prompting questions for head coach Kevin Stefanski. His response was that the team wanted to close out the spring with as much information as possible about every competitor for the quarterback job.
Flacco has a significant advantage: he played for the Browns and under Stefanski's system in 2023. The 18-year veteran appeared in five games, won four, lost one, and led the team to a playoff appearance.
"I don't know exactly what the plan is," Flacco said, according to a team transcript. "But I trust Kevin and that he has a plan for all this, and that's really all I can do. Listen, I'd love to go out there and take 120 reps a day, get into rhythm, and do all those things. But like I said, the coaches have a plan, Kevin has a plan, and my job is to just trust that, go out there and do the best I can."
When real training camp begins this summer, Flacco is expected to get more reps - because he's likely to be the starter, even if the head coach hasn't itted it yet. However, Flacco's main challenge will be delivering results immediately. There will be little patience, and fans will start calling for Shedeur Sanders.