Dillon Gabriel’s future with the Cleveland Browns is very much up in the air.
The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which was considered a reach by many. However, the rookie began the year as the backup and eventually did become the starter.
Yet, Gabriel has since been benched in favor of Shedeur Sanders. Browns insider Ken Carman of 92.3 The Fan claims Cleveland wasted a third-round pick, as he doesn’t see a future for Gabriel.
“When you have to answer these questions, and you don’t want to give an answer, it’s just best to say week-to-week,” Carman said on 92.3 The Fan on Tuesday. “I would feel he’s week-to-week for the rest of the year on Shedeur Sanders. Because then you never have to say we wasted our third-round pick.”
Carman believes the Browns organization won’t admit they wasted a Day 2 pick on Gabriel, so they will continue to say he has a chance to start for the team again. But the Browns insider isn’t buying it and thinks Gabriel was a waste of a pick and is a career backup.
“Why did you make that pick in the third round? You have so many other needs,” Carman added. “You could have taken an offensive lineman in the third round; you are working in other offensive linemen. Could you have taken another guy in the secondary, another linebacker, another defensive tackle?
“Could you have taken another guy who can contribute, and not a guy who will be a career backup? And you took him 94th overall. As long as you say week-to-week, there is a possibility Dillon can start next week.”
Shedeur Sanders Isn’t Named Starter for Rest of Season
Although Sanders is set for his third-straight start, the Browns still won’t name him the starter for the rest of the season.
Instead, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that he’s still taking the quarterback position week-by-week.
“I’m just dealing with our football team week-to-week, but I’m pleased with his progress,” Stefanski said about Sanders on Monday. “He wants to continue to get better and better, and that’s the right attitude to have, and that’s why we’ll continue to work.”
Although Stefanski is taking it week-to-week, the Browns head coach was impressed with Sanders’ play.
“Shedeur had some really good moments in that football game,” Stefanski added. “There are things that he wants back that we’re coaching up right now that he can improve upon. But bottom line is we have to continue to put our players in a position to succeed.
“For the young quarterback, you only get better with more turns at this thing in these games, as you see more coverages, as you see more defenses and as you prepare versus different defenses. So just looking forward to that constant improvement with Shedeur and for all of our young players.”
Sanders will start at home against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Sanders Explains How Browns’ Gabriel is Handling Benching
Once Gabriel cleared concussion protocol, the Browns still continued with Sanders as the starting quarterback.
Gabriel was benched, but Sanders said the rookie quarterback handled it well and the two are on good terms.
“He’s a hard worker. He’s the same guy,” Sanders said. “I feel like a lot of people in this locker room, he’s the same within every situation they’re in. You understand? He spent a lot of years in college, so he got experience in a lot of different areas and a lot of different people. So, he knows how to, like, bond and mesh with different people. So, since he been back, he been good. He been good. He’s been cool throughout everything.”
Gabriel will remain the Browns’ backup quarterback on Sunday.
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