The Cleveland Browns have just one game remaining before their rookie quarterback drama finally comes to a close. However, one chapter in that story remains, and the team announced a significant detail in it on Friday, January 2.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski noted in a press conference that third-round pick Dillon Gabriel will serve as the backup QB behind fellow rookie and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders when the Browns take the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
“Browns coach Kevin Stefanski: QB Dillon Gabriel (left shoulder) will be the backup this week after being inactive last week,” Scott Petrak of BrownsZone reported via X.
Dillon Gabriel Lost Starting Role to Shedeur Sanders Due to Week 11 Concussion, Has Failed to Win Back Top Job
GettyQuarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (left) and Shedeur Sanders (right) of the Cleveland Browns.
Gabriel had the upper hand on Sanders for the entirety of the preseason all the way through halftime of the Browns’ Week 11 home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
He suffered a head injury during that contest, leaving at halftime unable to return. Sanders stepped in and played atrociously. However, he got the start the following week with Gabriel still navigating the NFL’s mandatory concussion protocol. Sanders took advantage, leading Cleveland to a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and holding onto the QB1 role ever since.
Gabriel owns a 1-5 record in six starts across 10 appearances during his rookie campaign. He has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 937 yards, seven TDs and two INTs.
Sanders, meanwhile, is 2-4 in seven games played. He has tallied 1,289 yards, seven TDs and 10 INTs while completing 57.4 percent of his pass attempts on the season. Sanders has also rushed the football 18 times for 143 yards and a score.
Dillon Gabriel Likely to Enter Next Season as No. 2 or 3 QB on Browns’ Depth Chart
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
All things considered, it is hard to imagine that Sanders falls out of the No. 1 spot heading into next season if he plays even reasonably well against the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday. Thus, Gabriel isn’t likely to elevate above backup status heading into offseason work and training camp in 2026.
He could, however, fall further down the depth chart. The Browns are candidates to draft a quarterback in 2026, though they may not take one near the top of the first round as several analysts previously speculated.
Cleveland is 4-12 on the year and currently occupies the No. 6 pick. They won’t dip lower than No. 7, but are also highly unlikely to move high enough to land inside the top two selections.
Most draft experts believe there are only two franchise-level QB prospects in the coming year’s class — Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Dante Moore of Oregon, Big Ten foes who will face off for the second time this season in the College Football Playoff semifinals on January 9.
Both will probably be off the board before No. 6, leaving the Browns to go another direction absent a blockbuster trade to move up. These circumstances are favorable where the prospects of both Gabriel and Sanders are concerned. However, Cleveland owns a late first-rounder it acquired in trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars and could draft a quality signal-caller there.
If the Browns don’t take a quarterback who can threaten for the starting job, the team is likely to sign at least one veteran to compete with Sanders and Gabriel for QB1 snaps come Week 1 of next season.
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