who will be the browns starting qb

The Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season currently is rookie Dillon Gabriel. He was named the starter in late September 2025 after the Browns benched veteran Joe Flacco due to performance struggles. Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 draft, took over the starting role beginning Week 5, succeeding Flacco who had started the first four games of the season. Recently, the Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Bengals, which elevated rookie Shedeur Sanders to the primary backup quarterback position behind Gabriel. Sanders, also a rookie from the 2025 draft, had been the third-string QB but is now the backup after Flacco's departure. The Browns field two rookie quarterbacks on the active roster with Gabriel as the starter and Sanders as his backup, while veteran Flacco was traded away during the season.