Few things capture the instability at quarterback in Cleveland quite like seeing it laid out year by year, and that is exactly what NFL analyst Matt Williamson did with a recent post. The Browns have cycled through more starting quarterbacks over the last four seasons than most franchises see in a decade, and the list serves as a blunt reminder of why this offseason’s competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders matters so much. Stability at the position has been the single biggest thing missing from this organization.
Williamson laid out every starter the Browns have used since 2022 in a single thread.
“The Browns starting QBs the last four seasons: 2022: Deshaun Watson, Jacoby Brissett. 2023: Deshaun Watson, Jeff Driskel, Joe Flacco, P.J. Walker, Dorian Thompson Robinson. 2024: Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson, Bailey Zappe, Dorian Thompson Robinson. 2025: Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders,” Williamson wrote.
The #Browns starting QBs the last four seasons:
2022: Deshaun Watson
2022: Jacoby Brissett
2023: Deshaun Watson
2023: Jeff Driskel
2023: Joe Flacco
2023: P.J. Walker
2023: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
2024: Jameis Winston
2024: Deshaun Watson
2024: Bailey Zappe
2024: Dorian…— Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) June 28, 2026
This is a staggering number for any franchise, let alone one that has invested as much money and draft capital into the position as Cleveland has. Watson’s injuries account for a large chunk of that turnover, but the list also reflects just how often the Browns have had to scramble for short-term answers rather than build something sustainable. Flacco, Winston, Driskel, Walker, and Zappe were never meant to be long-term answers; they were bridge options brought in to survive a season rather than build toward one.
What makes the 2025 portion of that list so important is that it represented the first real attempt in years to develop young talent at the position rather than simply patch the roster with veterans. Gabriel, taken in the third round, and Sanders, selected later in the same draft, both got meaningful opportunities last season once Flacco was traded.
Heading into 2026, the hope across the organization is that this list finally stops growing every year. Andrew Berry and Todd Monken both understand that continuity at the position is the one thing this roster has lacked more than anything else, and that understanding is shaping how they have handled this competition all offseason.
The goal now is simple: find the answer this summer and make sure this list does not need an update again next year.
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Analyst Names ‘Nightmare Scenario” For Browns In 2026