The quarterback battle in Cleveland seems relentless from the outside, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders all in the mix. It looked like Kevin Stefanski would have one of the toughest jobs of the preseason, but now it appears that Browns head coach is already facing pressure from owner Jimmy Haslam regarding who should start at quarterback.
According to Colin Cowherd of The Herd, "The owner of the Browns, Jimmy Haslam, is really impulsive," and he has made multiple decisions in the past that have not put the Browns in the best position.
"He drafted Johnny Manziel over better quarterbacks. He drafted Baker Mayfield. He signed Deshaun Watson to a ridiculous guaranteed deal despite all sorts of personal allegations against him-probably the league's worst contract," Cowherd said.
Browns are desperate for a star QB
The Browns finished last season with one of the worst records in the league, and according to Cowherd, owner Jimmy Haslam is "desperate for star power." That's believed to be the reason the team drafted Shedeur Sanders - the second quarterback selected by the franchise in the 2025 draft, after Dillon Gabriel.
The NFL analyst added: "In a quarterback room with zero star power except Shedeur Sanders, he's going to get a chance... There's a lot of belief in the NFL that Jimmy Haslam is the reason Cleveland finally drafted Shedeur Sanders. He is desperate to be recognized and craves star power."
"My prediction: you start looking at that schedule between Weeks 7 and 10 - Shedeur Sanders is going to get a shot," Cowherd said. "Shedeur's on this roster because Jimmy Haslam wanted him on the roster. Haslam is starving for a star quarterback."
"He doesn't have the Ravens' roster, he doesn't have Burrow, he doesn't have the Steelers' brand. It's a weak roster. They're an injury or two away from having the weakest wide receiver room in the league. This is a team that's going to be boring offensively. You know what would make them not boring? Shedeur Sanders taking snaps - win or lose," Cowherd concluded.