The Cleveland Browns sparked a quarterback controversy of their own making and chose to embrace it rather than looking for a way out.
After drafting Dillon Gabriel in the third round and then trading up to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth, the Browns drew trade interest for Gabriel from multiple teams, according to Michael Silver of The Athletic.
“After trading up to take Sanders in the fifth round, the Browns rejected multiple trade offers for Gabriel, preferring to move forward with both rookies,” Silver said.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the team didn’t plan to draft two quarterbacks. But when Sanders’ unexpected slide reached the fifth round, they saw an opportunity worth taking.
“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks,” Berry said. “But as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Drawing Negative Reviews
Gabriel is slotted above Sanders on the initial depth chart. He’s also received some reps with the starters, while Sanders has not seen any time with the first-team offense. However, the reviews on Gabriel’s play have been mixed, skewing negative.
“He’s not good. He’s not an NFL quarterback. Not right now,” Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan said recently. “They’re cramming this guy down our throats, and it’s not good. It’s not a height thing; it’s not personal. I mean, he’s rolling out, and he can’t hit guys that are wide open. He is not all that great at times during the warm-up periods. He’s pretty good during 7-on-7 when there’s no offensive and defensive lines, but he’s just not a good quarterback.”
The Browns have said that Gabriel, Sanders, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett all have a chance to win the starting job in Cleveland. Veteran Tyler Huntley was added to the mix this week, with Gabriel and Pickett dealing with injuries.
The team is open to keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter believes they’ll do so.
“I now think the Browns are more likely than not to carry four quarterbacks on their final 53-man roster,” Schefter said on his podcast. “Now, hear me out. It is rare when a team drafts a quarterback in the middle rounds and winds up releasing him.
“And we’ve always thought that both rookie quarterbacks would make the 53-man roster. Barring an injury, Shedeur’s shoulder or Kenny Pickett’s hamstring getting worse, assuming they both get healthy, even though they might not be today. I think both rookie quarterbacks are on the Browns’ final 53-man roster.”
Browns Owner Wants Rookie QBs to Play
Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have cycled through 40 starting quarterbacks, consistently failing to find a long-term solution under center. But with two rookies now in the mix, owner Jimmy Haslam wants to see both in action before making any decisions about the franchise’s future.
“Absolutely, absolutely,” Haslam said when asked about the importance of evaluating the rookies in live games. “Kevin Stefanski is aware of that, he knows how important quarterback is. He and Andrew Berry talk about those kinds of things all the time. It’s a daily, ongoing conversation.”
The Browns are taking a measured approach, with the understanding that their evaluation period could extend into the regular season. Cleveland owns two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the Jacksonville Jaguars’ selection, which they acquired after trading down from No. 2 to No. 5 this year.
While the move cost them a shot at Heisman winner Travis Hunter, the Browns used the No. 5 pick to strengthen their defensive front with defensive tackle Mason Graham.
Cleveland could package its first-round picks to move up for a top quarterback in next year’s draft. But first, the team needs to evaluate Sanders and Gabriel.
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