The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room has been a crowded and complicated storyline all offseason, and according to Adam Schefter, that situation is unlikely to remain unchanged once training camp wraps up. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Schefter made clear that Cleveland currently carrying four quarterbacks on the roster is not a long-term reality the franchise intends to maintain.
Schefter believes one of the four quarterbacks will be moved before the season starts.
“Four quarterbacks on the roster right now, and there will not be four quarterbacks when the season starts, I don’t believe,” Schefter said.
“4 quarterbacks on the roster right now, and there will not be 4 quarterbacks when the season starts, I don’t believe,” – @AdamSchefter breaks down the biggest Browns training camp storylines.
(Via The Adam Schefter Podcast) pic.twitter.com/FRFjORvVeb
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 21, 2026
Deshaun Watson remains on the roster largely due to the sheer size of his contract, making any kind of trade or release financially impractical regardless of how the quarterback competition plays out this summer. Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, is playing on a team-friendly rookie contract that gives Cleveland every incentive to keep him around long term, especially given how much the front office has already invested in his development. That leaves Dillon Gabriel as the most logical candidate to be the odd man out, particularly now that the Browns have also added rookie Taylen Green to the mix this offseason.
Gabriel’s situation has looked increasingly uncertain for months, being that he is currently 3rd on the depth chart behind both Watson and Sanders. Adding another young quarterback to the room in Green only compounds that logjam, since carrying four passers into the regular season would represent an unusual roster move. A trade involving Gabriel would allow Cleveland to recoup some value for a player who has shown flashes but has clear physical limitations.
Barring a trade request from Sanders himself, or some unforeseen shift in how the competition unfolds, the far more probable outcome remains a trade or roster casualty involving Gabriel before final cuts.
With training camp soon underway, this storyline figures to develop quickly as the coaching staff evaluates all four quarterbacks in live team settings.
NEXT: Analyst Names Browns' Most Concerning Unit This Season
