A surprising option has emerged for the New York Jets at quarterback.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic named Cleveland Browns passer Dillon Gabriel as a trade option to consider this offseason.
“This wouldn’t excite anyone, but Gabriel was a third-round pick a year ago — whether he should have been is another story. But the Browns’ QB room is suddenly busy with Shedeur Sanders’ presence, Deshaun Watson’s return, and the addition of rookie Taylen Green. Gabriel did throw for seven touchdowns and two interceptions in six starts as a rookie, albeit while losing all but one start with a sub-60 completion percentage,” Rosenblatt wrote.
A Young QB Who Requires a Change of Scenery
Gabriel, 25, will turn 26 during the 2026 season.
He entered the league as the No. 94 overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Last season, he appeared in 10 games and made six starts. With those opportunities, Gabriel completed 59.5% of his passes, threw for 937 passing yards, and had a seven touchdown to two interception ratio.
Gabriel is very clearly the odd man out in that quarterback room. Watson and Sanders are battling it out for the starting QB job. Green is a rookie, and he isn’t going anywhere.
Very rarely in recent NFL history have teams carried four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. In other words, it is only a matter of time before Gabriel shakes free in some form or fashion.
The former Oregon product has three years remaining on his $6.2 million rookie contract. The most likely next step is that Gabriel gets traded somewhere between now and the start of the 2026 season. However, there is also a chance that he simply gets waived and would be subject to waivers.
At the collegiate level, Gabriel was a first-team All-American (2024), Big Ten MVP (2024), Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2024), and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year (2024). Gabriel was named all-conference in each of his final three college seasons.
A Dart Throw
He is going to be available, but whether the Jets want him is the real question.
The Browns have been desperately searching for a long-term answer at quarterback for nearly as long as the Jets. They have had Gabriel in their building for the last year and a half. If they clearly don’t think he is the guy, why should the Jets?
Gabriel is listed at 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds. He is still a young player and is under team control at a cheap rate for the next three years.
Even if Gabriel isn’t a franchise quarterback, there is still plenty of value in having a quality backup quarterback.
The Jets know that better than anyone. If you’re a Jets fan, you know that seemingly every year the backup quarterback will find his way into the starting lineup. That has happened by hook or by crook in 9 of the last 11 years.
That is probably why the Jets have been doing their homework on the available quarterbacks this offseason to bolster the room, potentially. The answer that we don’t know is what type of QB the Jets are seeking. A veteran stopgap backup? Or a young player with upside?
25-Year-Old Former All-American QB Named Option for Jets