Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
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Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
Dillon Gabriel may not survive the Cleveland Browns’ looming roster shakeup, as the team weighs adding a new developmental quarterback.
The former third-round pick still has a place in Cleveland’s plans — for now. But as the Browns sort through their quarterback room ahead of the 2026 season, Gabriel is beginning to look like the odd man out, sitting a clear step behind both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson on the depth chart.
Gabriel arrived in Cleveland as the 94th overall pick after a record-setting college career with UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. The Browns brought him in to develop behind Joe Flacco. He got his shot sooner than expected. When the Browns limped to a 1-3 start under Flacco, head coach Kevin Stefanski turned to Gabriel in Week 5, starting him against the Vikings in London.
What followed was a 1-5 stretch as a starter that did little to cement his long-term standing in Cleveland. Gabriel averaged a league-low 5.1 yards per attempt among qualified quarterbacks, rarely testing defenses downfield.
In eight games and six starts, Gabriel completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. A concussion suffered in Week 11 against Baltimore paved the way for Sanders to take over, and Gabriel never reclaimed the starting role. He finished the year on the bench as Sanders started the final seven games of the season.
Dillon Gabriel Facing Uncertain Future With Browns
The Browns are unlikely to use either of their two first-round picks on a quarterback, like Alabama prospect Ty Simpson. But in a recent mailbag, insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com noted that adding a developmental passer later in the draft remains firmly on the table.
Such a move wouldn’t alter the expected competition between Watson and Sanders for the starting job — but it could spell the end of Gabriel’s tenure in Cleveland.
“I think it will come down to Deshaun Watson vs. Sanders, unless the Browns determine that Simpson has more upside, or if he slips into a range they feel comfortable with,” Cabot said. “They might draft a developmental QB in a later round, but that wouldn’t upset the Watson-Sanders sweepstakes. That QB, whether it be Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar or someone else, would more likely make Dillon Gabriel expendable.”
Shedeur Sanders Holds the Upside Browns Are Looking For
Sanders had his share of struggles in his rookie campaign. He threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 68.1 quarterback rating across seven starts and a relief appearance. But the Browns see something in the fifth-round pick that the box score doesn’t fully capture.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability — that’s in him. You’ve seen it, we’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year,” Browns new head coach Todd Monken said of Sanders. “Sure, there’s a ways to go, but what rookie isn’t? I mean, what first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go?”
The connection between Monken and Sanders predates the hire. When Monken was the offensive coordinator in Baltimore, the Ravens reportedly had interest in drafting Sanders before learning he preferred a situation where he could compete for a starting role. The Browns took him three picks later at No. 144 overall. When the two finally met in Berea after Monken was hired, the new head coach didn’t let Sanders forget it.
“Hey, we tried to draft your [expletive] last year, for God’s sake,” Monken said to Sanders. “It’s all worked out. You remember that, right? Someday we’ll get a chance to talk about that.”
Watson remains in the mix, but with far more uncertainty attached. Since arriving in Cleveland in 2022 via a blockbuster trade, he’s started just 19 games. He also missed all of last season while recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries. When he has been on the field, Watson’s play has been sub-par. He’s passed for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in a Browns uniform.