Cleveland Browns, Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel's Return Creates Major QB Decision for Browns With Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson 1
Dillon Gabriel’s return to practice has put the Cleveland Browns on the verge of a quarterback decision they have been able to avoid for several weeks.
Gabriel has been designated to return from injured reserve, giving the Browns 21 days to decide whether to activate him. The move comes with Deshaun Watson playing well, Shedeur Sanders developing behind him, and sixth-round pick Taylen Green still on the 53-man roster. However, for now, the Browns reportedly would rather keep all four.
Browns Prefer Keeping Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel, quarterback, throws the ball at the Browns mini camp in Berea on April 21, 2026.
Dillon Gabriel, quarterback, throws the ball at the Browns mini camp in Berea on April 21, 2026.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that the Browns prefer to keep Watson, Sanders, Gabriel, and Green on the 53-man roster. That would leave the Browns with four QBs while they continue evaluating how the room fits together.
“Now that Dillon Gabriel has been designated for return from injured reserve with his back injury, the Browns would prefer to keep all four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, a source tells
That means that Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and sixth-round pick Taylen Green would all potentially stay put.”
Mary Kay Cabot of https://t.co/l4Q3F0RPeG reveals the Browns prefer to keep all four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, including Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green.
"Now that Dillon Gabriel has been designated for return from injured reserve with… pic.twitter.com/mVe3vsJskS
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) October 8, 2026
It is an unusual approach; however, the Browns have reason to be patient. Watson has taken control of the starting job after winning the competition with Sanders and has helped the Browns climb to 3-1. Through four games, he has completed 69.6% of his passes for 855 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has also added 127 rushing yards, giving the Browns a quarterback who has been making plays both from the pocket and with his legs.
That makes the top of the depth chart fairly clear. The more interesting question is what happens behind Watson. Sanders remains the backup, while Gabriel now has a chance to work his way back into the picture. Gabriel showed what he could do during the preseason finale, completing 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns against the Patriots.
His return also gives the Browns another young quarterback to evaluate while Watson is playing on the final year of his contract. The Browns invested heavily in their young QBs, selecting Sanders and Gabriel in the 2025 draft before adding Green in 2026.
There is also no immediate need to make that decision. Gabriel’s 21-day practice window gives the Browns time to assess his physical condition and how he fits into Monken’s offense before deciding whether to activate him. If the Browns do keep all four, it will sacrifice a roster spot elsewhere.
That could change before the trade deadline. An injury elsewhere in the league could create a market for a young quarterback, or the Browns could simply decide they need the roster spot more than the extra arm. However, for now, Gabriel’s return has not pushed Sanders toward the exit but has given Cleveland a more complicated QB room, and the Browns appear willing to keep all four pieces together while they figure it out.