The Cleveland Browns’ decision to start Dillon Gabriel in Week 5 is a risky one.
Then again, after watching Joe Flacco for one month, it may also be the right decision.
Flacco has looked unplayable in four weeks, and while he’s not the only one to blame for the offense’s shortcomings, he certainly doesn’t seem to have it anymore.
That’s why, with the Browns sitting on a 1-3 record, it was time to give Dillon Gabriel a chance.
He will be the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first career start overseas, as he’ll take the field in London to meet with the Minnesota Vikings.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Jim Rome admitted that, even though the setting is far from ideal, the Browns are making the right decision.
“As challenging as this is, as big of an ask as this is, I completely agree with the decision. The Browns are doing the right thing here. Cleveland’s next game is actually in London. He has to deal with a Brian Flores defense—never a good thing for a young quarterback. Really, not a good thing for most quarterbacks, but certainly not the optimal circumstance for a rookie debut. Then again, there’s never going to be an optimal circumstance to debut as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. There’s a good reason why this dude is the 41st Browns starting quarterback since 1999: it’s because none of the 40 before him started their Cleveland career in the perfect setup. It doesn’t exist,” Rome said.
Dillon Gabriel debuting in London against Brian Flores and the Vikings is not ideal.
You know what else isn't ideal? GETTING DRAFTED BY THE BROWNS. pic.twitter.com/pqA4CGigZ5
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) October 1, 2025
That’s fair, and it’s also not like Gabriel doesn’t have any experience.
He’s not like Anthony Richardson or J.J. McCarthy in the sense that he made more than 60 starts over his six years in college.
That type of experience may have him at a different spot in his development when compared to most rookie signal-callers, and he’s clearly seen all types of coverages.
Granted, there are many reasons to be worried about him and this debut.
But even if he’s as bad as Flacco or even worse – which sounds very difficult to believe – the Browns would at least get to see whether he can be their quarterback of the future and let him grow through his mistakes.
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