Quarterback Roulette: How the Browns keep finding new ways to create QB chaos

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have turned quarterback instability into a franchise tradition, and the latest episode of the Orange and Brown Talk podcast perfectly captures the absurdity of the team’s current situation. What began as a four-man quarterback competition has devolved into a debate between elevating Bailey Zappe from the practice squad or naming rookie Shedeur Sanders as the backup heading into Pittsburgh.

“We all should know better that no scenario is impossible when you’re talking about the Cleveland Browns and particularly no scenario is impossible when you’re talking about Cleveland Browns starting quarterback,” said Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock when asked if she could have imagined this scenario back in May. “It’s just so Browns, right? That’s so Browns. That should be our new segment.”

The podcast crew’s reaction to the situation isn’t just resignation — it’s almost comedic acceptance of an inevitable reality. Host Dan Labbe even proposed a betting line on how many starting quarterbacks the Browns would field this season.

“If I said 3.5 starting quarterbacks for the Cleveland Browns this season, Mary Kay, are you taking the over on that? Or the under?” Labbe asked.

“I might go over,” Cabot responded without hesitation.

This exchange highlights how the Browns’ quarterback carousel has become so predictable that even team insiders view quarterback changes as inevitable rather than exceptional. The conversation turned to a grim tally: five starting quarterbacks in 2023, four in 2024 — nine different starters in just two seasons.

What makes this situation particularly “Browns-ian” is the wasted resources from the offseason plan. As Bastock pointed out: “They devoted so many snaps in training camp to Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, and neither of them are here. And it’s October 8th, so that is, I think, a valid way of thinking right now. And it just kind of highlights that this four-QB competition wasn’t handled the right way anyway.”

The irony wasn’t lost on the podcast crew that former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is now in the MVP conversation with Tampa Bay, while Cleveland debates whether to elevate a practice squad quarterback or rush a developing rookie into action. Cabot even joked about bringing back Kenny Pickett from Las Vegas, illustrating how the quarterback position in Cleveland operates with an almost surreal logic.

What’s fascinating about this discussion is how it reveals both the humor and frustration of following a franchise perpetually searching for quarterback stability. The podcast captures that unique blend of cynicism and hope that defines Browns fandom — knowing the situation is absurd but remaining engaged nonetheless.

The question of who backs up Dillon Gabriel against Pittsburgh is just the latest chapter in a story that seems to have no ending. “Strap in, people,” Cabot warned, “because we are going for a quarterback ride.”

For the full, entertaining breakdown of the Browns’ quarterback situation and predictions about who might be the next man up, don’t miss the latest episode of Orange and Brown Talk podcast — where they’ve seen enough quarterback chaos to know that when it comes to Cleveland’s signal-callers, the only certainty is uncertainty.

Here’s the podcast for this week:

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