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Shedeur Sanders should be starting quarterback for Cleveland Browns, NFL analyst says
Browns' quarterback situation intensifies as four players compete for the starting position. Dan Orlovsky favors rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a precarious quarterback position. With veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett already on their roster, the team took the additional step of trading up for No. 94 pick Dillon Gabriel and No. 144 pick Shedeur Sanders in this year’s draft. This has left four players competing for the starting quarterback position within the same team. Although many believe that Flacco and Pickett will supersede the rookies in terms of preference, former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky feels differently.
Dan Orlovsky favors the rookies
During a recent appearance on 92.3 The Fan, Orlovsky shared his views on how the Browns should handle this complex situation. “In my opinion, two of them should, and both of them would be the rookies. … I do not think all four should have the chance to start,” he said. “If I were Cleveland, I would be doing everything I could to have Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders as my starting quarterback.”
Despite both veterans being in good form for the role, Orlovsky believes the rookies will offer Cleveland a better idea of what to do with their 2026 draft picks. This isn’t the first time Orlovksy has spoken in favor of Gabriel. Back in May, he compared him to the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa due to his ball distribution and anticipation. As per Orlovsky, Gabriel wasn’t a guy that “people should overlook”.
Sanders’s and Gabriel’s chances
Sanders entered the team following a standout college season by throwing 37 touchdown passes. Once pitched as a first-round pick in the NBL Draft, things played out differently when Sanders had to wait until Day 3 for his name to be called out. Picked in the fifth round by the Browns, Sanders now finds himself stuck in the fourth spot of a complicated depth chart.
Gabriel, on the other hand, comes from having spent six seasons in college football. When asked by reporters how he’s dealing with the starting quarterback competition, Gabriel said, “I think it’s just focusing on where I’m at today. I think a lot of people are focused on results, but the more you can just be where your feet are, the results will come, and for me, I'm just focused on today.”
By Stuti Gupta
