Browns QB Joe Flacco will have two rookies as his backups this season, and now we finally know which one is on top. On Tuesday, HC Kevin Stefanski announced third-round selection Dillon Gabriel as the second quarterback on the depth chart. In other words, Shedeur Sanders, their fifth-round selection, will serve as the emergency third quarterback.
Earlier this week, Cleveland traded veteran QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick. That paved the way for the Browns to keep both rookies, Gabriel and Sanders, on the 53-man roster. Although they claimed a willingness to keep four quarterbacks, a trade always seemed likely. With Las Vegas in a bind due to Aidan O’Connell’s late injury, they found a welcome seller’s market.
Of course, the story as far as the broader public is concerned is the fact that Shedeur Sanders will begin his career as the third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Sanders is one of the most talked-about fifth-round pick in NFL history before ever playing a snap, for well-documented reasons. Of course, being the son of a high-profile Hall of Famer didn’t spare Shilo Sanders a visit from the Turk.
The Browns purportedly held an “open” quarterback competition with Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders. Aside from Flacco, however, everyone else dealt with injuries. Pickett didn’t play in the preseason at all, and Sanders and Gabriel each missed at least one game. Sanders shined in his preseason debut. The latter struggled in the Browns’ preseason finale, and Stefanski pulled him in favor of Tyler Huntley.
That decision drew some heated criticism among Shedeur Sanders advocates, who believe he is the Browns’ future starting quarterback despite his draft background. Regardless of what his future holds, he will begin his career behind Dillon Gabriel, whom the Browns selected over him.
Unfortunately for Gabriel, his entire career is viewed through the Shedeur Sanders prism, at least from an outside perspective. Presumably, this move indicates that the Browns do not view things that way. Of course, they passed on quarterbacks with their first four draft selections, so they weren’t entrenched with anybody in this class.
In his preseason action with the Browns, Gabriel went 25-for-37 for 272 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Sanders went 17-for-29 for 152 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, rushing for 19 yards on 4 carries.
Despite all the consternation concerning Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, the Browns could well draft a quarterback in the first round in 2026. They hold two first-round picks, and are likely to perform poorly this season. With that combination, they should be in position to draft high in what promises to be a stronger quarterback class. So perhaps Sanders will be the emergency quarterback to some rookie next year, and wouldn’t that be exciting.
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