00:00The Cleveland Browns' decades-long quarterback saga took yet another twist on Tuesday when they traded veteran Joe Flacco to the rival Cincinnati Bengals.
00:09The team's decisions have cost them a lot of money over the years.
00:13All you've got to do is look at this year's salary cap list.
00:18Flacco, an 18-year veteran and Super Bowl champion, was a team captain, but he was benched last week for rookie Dylan Gabriel,
00:25who made his first start in a close loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
00:30Gabriel was the 41st different quarterback to start a game for the Browns since 1999.
00:37In fact, the Browns are paying eight different quarterbacks, a total of $41.6 million at the moment,
00:43and only two of them, Gabriel and fellow rookie Shadur Sanders, are on the active roster.
00:49Here's a breakdown of the players who are still employed by the team.
00:52The two rookies are joined by Bailey Zappi, who is in his fourth season in the league and currently on the Browns' practice squad.
00:59And Deshaun Watson.
01:01He's currently on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles.
01:06The eight-year veteran is making a fully guaranteed $35.9 million this season.
01:12But when asked Wednesday if he'd see playing time this season, head coach Kevin Stefanski deflected.
01:18He's been a great teammate from the jump, like I've told you guys, in every quarterback meeting.
01:24And all those guys, when you're in that room, everybody's preparing, you know, working hard, working together.
01:31So he's doing a great job there.
01:32As tough as it is for Browns fans to see $36 million tied up for one player, this list could be tougher.
01:39The Browns are still paying four quarterbacks, three of whom play for other teams.
01:45Jameis Winston signed with the Giants over the summer.
01:48Kenny Pickett was traded to the Raiders.
01:50And Flacco is now a Bengal.
01:52That's nearly $3.4 million in total.
01:56The headliner in all of this may just be Sanders.
01:59When asked if he'd be the backup quarterback for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefanski said he hadn't made up his mind yet.
02:06Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Reese said Thursday, Coach Prime's son is making progress.
02:12But is it enough?
02:13You know, for Shadur, we're looking for constant improvement throughout the season, and he's done that.
02:17I mean, I think you see the growth and the familiarity of the offense and what we're asking of those guys.
02:22You know, I think the level of preparation it takes week to week, you know, when you're putting a new game plan together, you know, that's a learning curve for all rookies.
02:29So I think he's gotten more used to that, gotten up to speed, doing a nice job.
02:34Do the Browns have their future quarterback on the roster, or will Sanders be starter number 42 in the near future?
02:41Well, if the team knows, they're not saying.
02:43When asked about being the second quarterback on Thursday, Sanders said he knows it's a coach's decision, but also said you tend to get a bit more excited when you can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
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