Dillon Gabriel Browns quarterback
Dillon Gabriel Browns quarterback
This offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers fans have debated whether the team should keep four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster. But Pittsburgh isn’t the only team in the league that had to make that decision. In the Steelers’ own division, the Cleveland Browns had to make some moves in their quarterback room.
Taylen Green, a rookie sixth-round pick, made the Browns’ initial 53-man roster. This signaled that they intended to keep all four quarterbacks: Green, Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. But they avoided doing so by placing Gabriel on IR with a designation to return, as he deals with a back injury, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones on X.
The Browns are placing QB Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve with a back injury, source says. Gabriel will have a designation to return this season, and it allows Cleveland to hang on to their third-round pick from a year ago.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) August 30, 2026
Gabriel was in a tough situation heading into this season. He played in 10 games during his rookie season, tossing seven touchdown passes and two interceptions. That’s a solid ratio, but the offense was pretty lackluster with him. Steelers fans should remember this, as Gabriel was the Browns’ quarterback in a dismal Week 6 loss to Pittsburgh last season.
Gabriel ended up giving way to Sanders, who took over toward the end of last season. Sanders had some rough moments, but he also led the Browns to some late-season wins. He beat the Steelers in Week 17, nearly derailing Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.
Sanders went into training camp competing for the starting job with Watson. The latter, now recovered from his Achilles injury, earned the starting role. He certainly is not the most exciting option at this point in his career, but he’s a veteran who new head coach Todd Monken can hand the keys to.
But that put Gabriel in a precarious spot. Behind both Watson and Sanders, he didn’t have a clear route to playing time as the third option. Cleveland also drafted Green, a late-round quarterback, this past offseason.
Green is a more interesting name, and he’ll slot in as the third quarterback on their 53-man roster. The Arkansas product is quite intriguing. He is extremely mobile, has impressive arm strength, and carried Arkansas on his back at times last season. However, he’ll need to improve his mechanics and decision-making to become a quality NFL quarterback. The sixth-round pick has some future upside and will stick in Cleveland for now.
The Steelers kept four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and it felt like Cleveland was destined to do the same. But by stashing Gabriel on the IR, the Browns were able to hang on to each quarterback in their building for the time being.