Dillon Gabriel remains on the Cleveland Browns’ roster, but his chances of winning the starting job — or simply remaining on the roster — appear to be fading fast.
The Browns have not formally eliminated Gabriel from the starting quarterback competition. Head coach Todd Monken has also avoided putting a firm timeline on when Cleveland will name a starter. But the practice reps are starting to tell the story.
Gabriel received just three competitive reps during Wednesday’s practice, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. That came during a seven-on-seven period and reinforced the belief that Cleveland’s quarterback battle is strictly a two-man race between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
“Gabriel’s only three competitive reps Wednesday came in that seven-on-seven period, which underscores what we already knew: This is Watson vs. Sanders, with Monken ideally naming a winner by the start of training camp in late July but not promising any kind of firm timeline,” Jackson said.
That is not great news for Gabriel, who entered the offseason hoping to prove he still belonged in the conversation. Instead, he appears to be trending toward the wrong side of the roster bubble.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel: I’m Running My Own Race
The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 draft. He ended up seeing the field earlier than expected, starting six games as a rookie after the Browns benched Joe Flacco. He went 1-5 as a starter, throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
While Gabriel took care of the ball for the most part, the unit lacked explosiveness with him under center. His run as QB1 came to a rough ending, with a concussion forcing him out and opening the door for Sanders to take over.
Gabriel has tried to keep the right mindset despite the uncertainty around his role.
“I’m just running my own race and focus on what I can control and that’s mastering my reps and doing it at a high level,” Gabriel said during voluntary minicamp.
Dillon Gabriel’s Roster Spot at Risk With Browns
At this point, Gabriel’s path may be less about winning the starting job and more about proving he still belongs on the roster. General manager Andrew Berry tried to keep Gabriel’s outlook positive earlier this offseason, making it clear the team had not written him off.
“He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us,” Berry said. “Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”
The Browns have four quarterbacks on the roster, and carrying all of them into the season is not realistic. Cleveland could explore a trade, but the team won’t have much leverage if it waits until the end of the preseason. Gabriel’s value is not especially high to begin with.
The addition of rookie Taylen Green only creates more questions about Gabriel’s long-term fit. Green is raw as a passer, but he offers a different kind of upside.
At 6-foot-6 and nearly 230 pounds, Green brings rare athletic traits to the position. He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine and has the physical tools that could allow him to contribute before he is ready to run the full offense. Monken has already acknowledged the possibility of building a specialized package around the sixth-round pick.
“I could say that for anybody with that sort of athleticism there would be a possibility,” Monken said. “Whether it’s short yardage, once you get in the low red zone, maybe some third down stuff that we could utilize.”
Unless Gabriel makes a strong push, his future in Cleveland is looking increasingly uncertain.
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