Cleveland Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett will not be weighing in on the team’s decision on a starting quarterback.
The Browns are staging a four-man quarterback competition that includes veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as well as rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
“That’s got nothing to do with me,” Garrett said of the quarterback competition. “That’s all up to Kevin. Whoeever he decides is the best fit for what we’re trying to do offensively. All these guys are very capable. We have confidence in all of them. That decision is on Kevin and we’ll roll with that.”
The comment comes after a report from Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com had Garrett and other veterans putting their support behind Flacco as the Week 1 option.
“He’s already felt the love from Browns fans, and has the full support of big-time veterans such as All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett,” Cabot said. “Flacco might not get many as many snaps in practice as the others because he doesn’t need them, but the Browns know what he can do.”
Flacco has a leg up on the other three quarterbacks thanks to his stint with the Browns in 2023. He’s proven he can operate in Stefanski’s offense. Flacco went 4-1 as the starter to close out the regular season, passing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions over that span. Flacco helped lead the Browns to the postseason but Cleveland was blown out in the Wild Card game, 45-14.
Browns Under Pressure to Evaluate Quarterbacks
The Browns are in a unique situation with four quarterbacks and no clear-cut starter. But having two rookies in the mix also creates additional pressure for the Browns, especially with two first-round selections in next year’s draft.
Cleveland drafted Gabriel in the third round before adding Sanders in the fifth. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that adding two quarterbacks to a room that already included Flacco and Pickett wasn’t the plan. But the team is embracing the competition.
“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks,” Berry said. “We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there.”
Myles Garrett Has Super Bowl Expectations for Browns
The Browns are coming off a 3-14 campaign. After the disappointing year, Garrett demanded a trade, asking to be sent to a contender. He changed his tune in March, signing a four-year, $160 million extension.
Despite low expectations outside of the locker room, Garrett expects the Browns to be in the mix for not only the playoffs, but the Super Bowl.
“I expect to get to the Super Bowl. That’s my expectation every year. I expect to run back Defensive Player of the Year,” said Garrett, the 2023 DPOY. “I’ll keep both of those things in mind. I have to be the very best every single day, whether we are practicing or playing.”
“It was a down year and guys weren’t satisfied. Guys were disappointed because we knew what we had in the locker room. It wouldn’t be a letdown if that were the expectation. But it is, because we know we have more in the tank.”
