The Cleveland Browns will stick with Dillon Gabriel as their starter this week against the Baltimore Ravens, but skepticism is mounting about his long-term viability as an NFL quarterback after a 1-4 opening stretch to his career.
Gabriel took over for Joe Flacco in Week 5. He’s done little to show that he can produce at the NFL level. Gabriel has rarely looked downfield, and when he has, his passes have lacked the needed accuracy and zip to be effective. His 5.0 yards per attempt is the lowest in the NFL. In all, Gabriel has passed for 869 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in five starts.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes that Gabriel is “overmatched” in the NFL and has little faith he can even be a viable developmental option for the Browns.
“He’s not a developmental quarterback. He’s a quarterback who has hit a wall. You have a picture painted of who Dillon Gabriel is. He has done nothing but go backwards since that first game,” Jackson said on Thursday on The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “He’s overmatched — the numbers say that, the eye test says it. The reality is, he always was when they rushed him out there. They haven’t done him any favors. They aren’t doing him any favors with this wide receiver corps. But it’s very clear — he is not going to be an NFL quarterback. And that has been the case since the spring.”
Browns Won’t Discuss Replacing Dillon Gabriel
The Browns spent a third-round pick on Gabriel with hopes he could finally solve their long-standing quarterback problem. But drafting Shedeur Sanders two rounds later did him no favors, adding another layer of pressure for the rookie.
With Gabriel struggling, calls have grown for Sanders to get his shot under center. But head coach Kevin Stefanski has avoided the topic, declining to answer questions about when Sanders could see the field.
“I don’t think it’s fair to speculate. We’re committed to getting better as an offense,” Stefanski said. “Dillon is certainly committing to improving every which way he can. And all the while, all of our players, young players, are developing and working so hard behind the scenes to make sure that they’re getting better on a daily basis.”
There are problems with the Browns’ offense beyond Gabriel. But the rookie will only have so many more shots with the team racking up losses.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel: Growth Not Linear
As Jackson noted, Gabriel hasn’t shown meaningful growth through five starts. Still, the Browns’ rookie quarterback insisted he’s focused on steady development rather than overnight results.
“I don’t think growth is ever linear, and there’s regression and there’s progression,” Gabriel said on Thursday. “So there’s things that get better and things we’ve got to continue to work on, but I want to continue to get better. And that’s what you strive for every single day.”
Gabriel’s next test will come against the Ravens on Sunday, who are playing solid football after a rough start to the year. Baltimore pounded the Browns 41-17 in Week 2.
“They’re talented at all levels, play really good as a unit, communicate really effectively,” Gabriel said. “We have our hands full.”
Cleveland is a 12.5-point underdog for the matchup, per ESPN BET.
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