Finally, it’s the dawn of a new era in Cleveland Browns football.
It happened earlier than expected, and not for the right reasons, but it finally happened.
According to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Browns will finally turn to Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback.
Change in Cleveland: Browns are benching veteran QB Joe Flacco in favor of rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, per sources. The Browns were informed of the change this morning.
Gabriel’s first NFL start comes Sunday in London vs. the Vikings. pic.twitter.com/lUV1W5RQob
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2025
Schefter added that the team was informed of the decision this morning.
This comes after Joe Flacco’s worst performance of the young season.
The Browns most likely wanted to wait a little longer before throwing the rookie into the fire, but given the way Flacco has struggled, holding onto him for a little longer could’ve meant giving up on the campaign.
Of course, making his first career start in London and against an elite front seven might not be the most ideal situation.
Then again, Gabriel made more than 60 starts over six years in college, so he has plenty of experience under his belt and has seen virtually all types of coverage.
The Browns raved about Gabriel during and after training camp, and he’s looked solid in limited action.
Even if he’s not as ready as the team would’ve wanted him to be at this point, he’s unlikely to do much worse than Flacco, and he’d at least get to develop and work on his flaws.
The Browns need to do a better job of protecting him, though, and trading for Cam Robinson was a big step in that direction.
More than that, the receivers also need to give him a helping hand by creating some separation and finishing plays.
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