The Cleveland Browns still believe in rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, but after three starts the team has notes and increased expectations moving forward.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com laid out the situation on Saturday, October 25, one day ahead of Gabriel’s fourth career start, which will happen on the road against the New England Patriots.
“He hasn’t turned the ball over in his first three starts, which is a huge plus, but now he has to do more to get the passing game up to speed, as does everyone else on offense,” Cabot wrote. “The Browns aren’t pinning the passing woes on Gabriel, although they do recognize that he has to be willing to take some shots when they’re there.”
Shedeur Sanders Will Likely Take Dillon Gabriel’s Starting Job if the Offense Doesn’t Produce More Successfully Soon
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is waiting in the wings for his chance to start.
If Gabriel doesn’t get the offense rolling on a more consistent basis and as a direct result of his play, it is possible that the team will turn to fellow rookie signal-caller Shedeur Sanders sooner than later.
“The Browns definitely want to see more points from Gabriel and the offense, and don’t have him on a short leash,” Cabot continued. “But the passing game does need to improve, or they’ll undoubtedly find themselves tempted to turn to Sanders sooner than perhaps they want to.”
That transition isn’t likely to happen this week, however, as Sanders reported back tightness to the team on Saturday, which prompted the Browns to bring veteran quarterback Bailey Zappe up from the practice squad.
Even if Sanders were healthy, Gabriel still has considerable rope. The Browns head into their bye week following Sunday’s game against the Patriots, then return to the field for a road contest against the New York Jets on November 9.
It is unclear when the Browns plan to make the change to Sanders or what the catalyst for that move will be if Gabriel performs decently, or better, moving forward. However, Cabot has reported that the team absolutely intends to start Sanders at some point in the season to see what it has in the fifth-round rookie before the 2026 NFL draft next April.
Dillon Gabriel Needs to Hunt More Explosive Plays for Browns Offense, and He Knows It
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is under pressure to produce.
Gabriel earned the first victory of his career against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday by a score of 31-6. However, it may have been his least impressive outing as an NFL starter from a statistical standpoint.
He completed 13-of-18 passes for 116 yards in that contest. For the season, Gabriel has tallied 546 passing yards and three TDs in five games played.
The third-round rookie spoke with reporters during the week about the team’s lack of explosive plays.
“Like I’ve said before, you want explosives in the pass game — not only vertical throws, but also maybe a five-yard throw that can go for 20,” Gabriel said. “So any explosives really help.”
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