The Cleveland Browns had a crowded quarterback room in 2025, though new head coach Todd Monken is likely to carve out a more defined hierarchy over the course of this offseason.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently predicted that will ultimately mean that Cleveland cuts Dillon Gabriel one year after drafting him in the third round.
“The franchise seems to be headed toward a split from the rookie who started six games this past season,” Ballentine wrote on Friday. “Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported that the Browns are likely to go into next season with a quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and a mid-round pick. That makes Gabriel the odd man out and the Browns can get some cap relief out of the deal if they make him a post-June 1 designation.”
Cleveland would save $1.1 million against the salary cap by moving on from Gabriel this summer.
Deshaun Watson Will Still Figure Heavily Into Browns’ QB Room Next Season
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Gabriel wouldn’t cost much to keep, either, so Monken is unlikely to make a final decision until training camp arrives this summer and he gets a chance to fully evaluate everyone on the roster.
“Though it’s hard to imagine the Browns continuing to employ Sanders and Dillon Gabriel after inexplicably drafting both last April, Gabriel is also signed through 2028,” Jackson wrote January 13. “Unless a major external move at quarterback is coming in March (which would be a surprise), the Browns likely will be in no hurry to finalize the shape of the room and a potential open competition for spring and summer.”
Jackson noted that the Browns could even decide to restructure Watson’s deal yet again to bring down his nearly $81 million salary cap hit this season. As it stands now, the Browns can’t save any money by shedding Watson, so they may as well see if he is capable of starting following a return from a twice-torn Achilles tendon.
Browns Could Target Alabama QB Ty Simpson With No. 24 Pick in NFL Draft
GettyAlabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Given Cleveland’s cap and quarterback situations, the timing simply isn’t right for a big free agency swing. A rookie QB acquired through the draft could be a different story, but the question is on whom and at what point in the process could Cleveland sensibly spend a pick on the position?
The Browns own the No. 6 selection, but Fernando Mendoza is the only quarterback who the majority of analysts consider a franchise-caliber player.
Cleveland could look at Ty Simpson out of Alabama with the No. 24 pick in the first round, which they acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars via a trade during the 2025 draft. He only has 15 collegiate starts under his belt but is a dual-threat quarterback who threw for nearly 3,600 yards in the SEC last season and has the mobility Monken is seeking in a signal-caller.
The question is whether a team like the Los Angeles Rams or Pittsburgh Steelers might select Simpson before the Browns come back on the clock in the mid-20s.
Browns Expected to Cut Ties With QB Dillon Gabriel