With OTAs underway, all eyes continue to flick towards the ongoing battle between the QBs in the Browns locker room. There’s a four-way clash between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillion Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. There’s also the added component of Deshaun Watson dropping subtle hints at a recovery that’s adding steam to the situation. But out of all of this talent pool, the question for QB1 is still up in the air. Many believe Joe Flacco to be the clear starter with his veteran experience. Kenny Pickett’s chances are also floating as the QB1. And with HC Kevin Stefanski still far away from making a decision, the question is also being circulated to the players in hopes of a clear answer. And now, a Browns veteran might have confirmed who it’s going to be.As far as coach Stefanski is concerned, the role of Kenny Pickett seems almost confirmed. He had recently confirmed he’s impressed with Pickett. “I’m really excited about what Kenny brings to the team. – He’s a guy that works extremely hard at his craft. I love the way he thinks about the game.” But then there is the veteran Joe Flacco, who has also made it clear he wants to play and win games. He even refused the role of mentorship in a recent presser and doubled down on his intentions, “I tend to try to be honest. And I’ve said, I’m not a mentor. I play football.” So, who’s it going to be in the end? Veteran Browns guard Joel Bitonio, for one, has shared his thoughts on the matter.During the Cleveland Browns Foundation golf tournament on Monday, Joel Bitonio and Kevin Stefanski spoke with reporters. Notably, Joel Bitonio was asked, “How important to you is it that the team choose the best quarterback to win this season rather than to assess their future?” His response? “We want the best guy to compete and, you know, you understand that the team has a duty for future years, but I think going into the season, like we’re going to put the best guys out there and we’re going to try and win as many games as we can.” While he didn’t name-drop anyone, the best guys right now are clearly Flacco and Pickett. So it looks like it could be one of these two. And Dillon and Sanders will be developing under them as future prospects. But a lot can happen between now and September.Joel Bitonio, in the interview, further noted that the competition going forward in the AFC will be hard. And he doubled down on the ‘best guy’ again. “We know the AFC’s tough, but you know, I think we have faith that we’re going to put the best guy out there.” Incidentally, Bitonio also talked about Kenny Pickett and said, “He’s just a guy that wants his chance and he’s hungry to prove that he can play in this league.” So could that be another hint moving forward? Kevin Stefanski is keeping his card close and checking all the boxes before he can make a clear decision. He has already said, “There’s a lot of time between now and September, so we’ll have a plan. But it’s an all-encompassing evaluation.”But rookie QBs Gabriel and Sanders aren’t waiting by the sidelines watching the pros compete against each other. Shedeur Sanders has reportedly already become a ‘locker room favorite.’ Dillon Gabriel is also enjoying his time with the Browns. “I love it. It’s competition. It’s making us all better.” And with the competition heating up, there’s another update with the rookies that’s raising eyebrows around the league.Shedeur Sander and the Browns OTA questShedeur Sanders notably didn’t take any reps during the open OTAs last week. Naturally, people around the league were curious, but Kevin Stafanski had already clarified his stance on this during the minicamps. Back then, he had said, “I wouldn’t look into anything. – we don’t pay too close attention to who’s in that first snap.” So when asked about it now, he doubled down on his earlier stance and clarified that Shedeur has gotten his fair share of practice away from the cameras. “Yes, he has and I would say there’s a lot of work that gets done when you guys aren’t out there, believe it or not. – But that’s even in a meeting or in a walk-through. Our guys are getting exposed to a lot.”NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp May 9, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 throws a pass during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250509_kab_bk4_045Most of the 11-on-11 reps during practice have reportedly gone to Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. That further solidifies their role as potential QB1s going forward. But as Gabriel and Sanders continue to get reps and gather experience, they’re clearly not out of the picture yet. Either of the rookies could rise up to be one of the ‘best guys’ on the roster. And it might just be one of them calling shots under center. The focus right now is for the rookies to learn the playbook and put it into practice on the field. Additionally, Kevin Stefanski has another clear goal in mind.Going through the OTAs, Kevin Stefanski has made one thing very clear. As the head coach put it, “I think that offseason program, you’re really building a foundation, and that’s for the players, you’re building a foundational understanding of scheme. – We want to make sure that we have an identity that’s unique to us. So a lot of that is building that foundation now so that when you get to training camp, you can build upon that.” So, once the dust settles and the Browns have all settled into their roles, Kevin Stefanski will finally make the call for QB1. When that time comes, who do you think it’ll be?The post 11-Year Browns Veteran Confirms Stance on ‘Best’ QB For Cleveland as Shedeur Sanders Receives New Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.