The calls are growing louder for the Cleveland Browns to give rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel a shot. But it may still be some time before he takes the field.
Cleveland drafted Gabriel in the third round with the No. 94 pick, adding one of the most seasoned quarterbacks in college football history. Gabriel logged 63 career starts across three programs, beginning at UCF, where he threw for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns in three seasons.
He transferred to Oklahoma in 2022, piling up 6,828 yards and 55 touchdowns in two years. Gabriel capped his career at Oregon in 2024, throwing for 3,857 yards and 30 scores. His 189 total touchdowns set a new all-time FBS record.
Browns Want Veteran Presence at QB
Despite the resume, the Browns aren’t ready to throw Gabriel into the fire. They’ll face a gauntlet of NFC North opponents in the coming weeks — the Packers, Lions, and Vikings in London — and would prefer to lean on 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco, according to insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
“I think it depends on how Joe looks over the next couple of weeks,” Cabot said on the Ken Carman Show. “I don’t think they’re in any rush to get Dillon out there. I think they’re in a stretch right now of four out of five games on the road. They’re facing three really tough NFC North teams, playoff teams, and great defenses. So, they have a lot of things going on right now.
“I think it behooves them to have a veteran presence in there. But certainly, he’s got to make sure that he’s protecting the football. That’s job number one. And if he can do that, then he’ll keep his job.”
The problem for Flacco through the first two weeks has been that he has not protected the football. He’s tossed three interceptions and had a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during a 41-17 loss.
“It’s just playing within yourself and there’s going to be times in a game where you do start to feel like maybe we are not doing what we want to on the scoreboard, so then you start to press, and we don’t have any reason to do that,” Flacco said. “Just continue to play our game. That’s just a good reminder in general for this league is to let the game come to you a little bit and you never know how it’s going to play out in the third and fourth quarters.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Unlikely to Play
The Browns have the most high-profile No. 3 quarterback in the NFL with former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders, who also factors into the equation. Cleveland selected Sanders No. 144 overall in the fifth round, adding an even larger spotlight to their quarterback situation.
Sanders has been functioning as the emergency quarterback for the Browns, inactive on game days. He can only enter if both Flacco and Gabriel are injured. He’s unlikely to see the field this season unless things get “weird,” per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
“For all the football conspiracy theorists out there trying to decode the real reason the Cleveland Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders, here’s the truth: There is no big secret. The pick wasn’t some master plan from ownership,” Russini said. “It was GM Andrew Berry’s call, rooted in his belief that Cleveland’s coaching staff could bring out the best in Sanders and help him grow into an NFL quarterback. It will be a process, and the Browns want to keep developing him.
“Don’t plan on seeing the fifth-round pick on the field this season unless things get really weird. Cleveland believes in Joe Flacco’s experience and Dillon Gabriel’s development as the backup.”
The Browns are a 7.5-point home underdog against the Packers this week.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Faces Roadblock in Starting Aspirations