Preseason football is usually just background noise. You’ve got the grill going, the TV is on, and you’re mostly just happy that "real" football is only a few weeks away. But for the 2025 Cleveland Browns pre season, things felt weirdly high-stakes. Honestly, it wasn't just about roster depth or seeing if the third-string kicker had a leg. It was a full-blown identity crisis played out in three acts across August.
Nobody expected a 3-0 sweep.
Winning doesn't always matter in the summer, but after a brutal 3-14 finish the previous year, Kevin Stefanski needed to show something. The Browns beat the Panthers 30-10, took down the Eagles 22-13, and squeaked by the Rams 19-17. On paper? Perfect. In reality? It was a chaotic scramble to figure out who exactly was going to take the first snap in September.
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The Quarterback Carousel Nobody Talked About
While the national media was busy looking at established stars, Cleveland was running a science experiment. Joe Flacco was the "leader in the clubhouse," but the real story was the rookies. Imagine drafting two high-profile college QBs in the same year—Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth—and then throwing them into a blender with Kenny Pickett.
It was a mess. A fascinating, beautiful mess.
Early in training camp, the vibe was shaky. Dillon Gabriel was struggling, reportedly going 3-of-14 in team drills during one particularly rough Friday. Then you had Shedeur Sanders missing reps because of "arm soreness." People started whispering. Was the kid from Colorado actually ready? Was Gabriel a bust before he even took a snap?
Then came the first game against Carolina.
Sanders got the start because Pickett and Gabriel were both nursing hamstring issues. He didn't just play; he looked like a completely different person than the one we saw in camp. He went 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He was calm. He was throwing darts to Kaden Davis. It felt like the depth chart was about to be flipped upside down on the flight back to Cleveland.
The Rookie Reality Check
The thing about the Cleveland Browns pre season is that it's a fickle beast. One week you're the savior; the next, you're getting eaten alive by a blitzing linebacker from the Rams' practice squad. By the time the third game rolled around, the "Shedeur Hype" hit a brick wall.
Sanders went 3-for-6 for a measly 14 yards against Los Angeles. He took five sacks. Five! Stefanski eventually had to pull him because he looked completely overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Dillon Gabriel was quietly proving he was the more reliable option for a "now" offense. He was money on third downs, finding Jamari Thrash to move the chains when it mattered.
Roster Battles and Defensive Gems
It wasn't all about the guys under center. If you were watching the defense, you saw the emergence of Carson Schwesinger. The second-round linebacker out of UCLA was a heat-seeking missile. In just 12 snaps against the Panthers, he racked up six tackles. He basically locked up a starting spot before the first quarter of the first game was even over.
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Then there was the special teams magic.
Quinshon Judkins, the Ohio State product, took a kickoff 100 yards to the house on the very first play of the preseason. Talk about making an entrance. It’s those kinds of moments—the ones that happen when half the stadium is still buying hot dogs—that actually define a team's energy.
The Final Cuts and the Four-QB Problem
General Manager Andrew Berry did something weird. Most teams carry two, maybe three quarterbacks. The Browns decided to keep four:
- Joe Flacco (The grizzled vet)
- Kenny Pickett (The bridge)
- Dillon Gabriel (The developmental backup)
- Shedeur Sanders (The "maybe one day" project)
They cut Tyler Huntley, which raised some eyebrows because he actually looked decent. But Berry was clear: the last few spots on the roster are for development. They aren't looking for the safest backup; they're looking for the highest ceiling.
Why This Preseason Actually Mattered
Look, the Browns ended the 2025 regular season at 5-12. Not great. But if you look back at that Cleveland Browns pre season, you see where the foundation was laid. We saw Myles Garrett reminding everyone why he’s a First-Team All-Pro even in limited snaps. We saw Denzel Ward shutting down side-lines.
The biggest takeaway? This team finally stopped trying to buy a winning culture and started trying to draft one.
The preseason showed us that the "Sanders vs. Gabriel" debate wasn't just for talk radio. It was a legitimate look at two different philosophies of football. One is flashy and high-risk; the other is methodical and efficient. By the time the Browns left Huntington Bank Field after that final win against the Rams, the coaching staff knew exactly what they had. They had a team that could win in August, even if they weren't quite ready for the gauntlet of the AFC North in December.
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Actionable Insights for Following the Browns:
- Watch the Snap Counts: In future preseasons, pay attention to who plays the second quarter. That’s usually where the real roster battles are won or lost.
- Don't Box Score Scout: Shedeur Sanders' stats in game one were great, but his pocket presence in game three told the real story. Always look for the pressure response.
- Track the Waiver Wire: The Browns cutting a Pro Bowler like Huntley shows they value "potential" over "proven floor" for their QB3/QB4 spots. Expect more aggressive roster moves like this under Andrew Berry.
- Special Teams is Key: If a rookie like Judkins is returning kicks, it means the staff trusts his vision more than his raw speed. Watch for those subtle coaching signals.
The 2025 preseason wasn't just a warmup. It was a three-week trial by fire that forced the Browns to be honest about their future. Whether they got it right is still up for debate, but they certainly didn't play it safe.