The Cleveland Browns have a four-man quarterback competition heading into training camp, with veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders set to compete for the starting role. All four quarterbacks were acquired or drafted by the team this offseason, though Flacco does have previous experience playing for Cleveland in 2023.
New Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson recently made his prediction for who will emerge as the team's starter—Kenny Pickett. "I think they are going to roll with Kenny [Pickett] for right now," Johnson said on the "Sports and Suits" podcast.
"I've been seeing Kenny going like right now with the ones. Then Joe [Flacco] will come in," Johnson continued. "I think they are probably going to roll with him just to see like he's coming off a season with Philly and having a Super Bowl. So, I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason. Then you know they can live with Joe and what he brings to the table."
Though Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has said multiple times during OTAs not to look too much into who's getting the most first team reps, Johnson appears to believe that Pickett getting a good amount of those reps is an indicator he will become the team's initial starter.
Johnson previously played with Pickett for two seasons on the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 and 2023, so he currently has the most familiarity with Pickett out of all the team's quarterbacks.
For now though, it's still early in the team's offseason and there is certainly room for each of the four quarterbacks to rise or fall in the competition. Who the starter will be should become clearer through training camp and the preseason later this summer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Browns Wide Receiver Makes His Prediction for Team's Starting Quarterback.
