Most of the discussion about the Cleveland Browns’ upcoming quarterback competition frames it as a two-man race between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Hardly any mention is made of Dillon Gabriel.
As a rookie, Gabriel got the first opportunity to be Cleveland’s starter, ahead of Sanders, as the choice of former head coach Kevin Stefanski when Joe Flacco was benched. In fact, it was Gabriel’s job until he had to enter concussion protocol in a Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders made his first NFL start in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders and played just well enough to keep the job until the end of the season. That also kept Watson inactive for the entire season, even after he was cleared to practice following his recovery from an Achilles injury.
Insider Daniel Oyefusi said he believes Gabriel has been “forgotten” in the discussion about the 2026 season, even though the Browns have not added another potential quarterback this offseason.
“I don’t know that you want to take away the reps that you really want to give to [Shedeur and Deshaun], and, obviously, Dillon Gabriel’s kind of become the forgotten man. Nobody really is factoring Dillon in this, and he’s still on the team right now,” Oyefusi said.
"I don't know that you want to take away the reps that you really want to give to Shedeur and Deshaun…and, obviously, Dillon Gabriel's kind of become the forgotten man."
🚨 @DanielOyefusi w/ @earldapearl_216 and @Spencito_ on whether #Browns will add another QB to compete for… https://t.co/SIYZU3pttf pic.twitter.com/B6TzqygR5x
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 21, 2026
The physical limitations that were feared for Gabriel as a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft were on display in his six starts. However, some of his strengths were also evident, particularly his lack of interceptions as compared to Sanders.
In 10 appearances, Gabriel completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions. Cleveland won just one of his starts, whereas it earned a victory in three of Sanders’ seven starts, despite metrics that showed he had one of the worst seasons in recent NFL history.
If a veteran is not added before training camp, Watson, against all odds, has a good opportunity to become Cleveland’s starting quarterback, despite not playing in a game in almost two years. The Browns would then have to decide who is best served as the backup between Sanders and Gabriel.
It is not an ideal situation for Todd Monken as one of the oldest first-time NFL head coaches in history, but perhaps the competition will bring out the best in all of the QBs and lead to a successful outcome.
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