All the focus in Cleveland Browns training camp is going to be on the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. All early indications would suggest that Watson will open the season as the starter, but considering the fact that he has started 19 games since 2020, it’s hard to believe the Browns will make it through the 2026 season with just one starting quarterback.
As intriguing as the camp battle between Sanders and Watson will be, it brings potential third-stringer Dillon Gabriel’s role into question. Gabriel threw seven touchdowns to just two interceptions in his six starts as a rookie, but the Browns went just 1-5 during that span and Gabriel failed to complete a pass longer than 26 yards all season.
Because of his uncertain place on the roster and his absence from the QB competition, some are wondering if Gabriel might get traded. Jason Lloyd of Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show isn’t buying it.
“The assumption is that Dillon Gabriel’s not going to be here. I’m not positive that he’s not going to be here. I still think there’s a chance he’s here,” said Lloyd.
Gabriel was a third-round pick in the 2025 draft, which was two rounds ahead of Sanders and three rounds earlier than rookie quarterback Taylen Green was selected in this year’s draft. It’s a lot of draft capital to spend on a bunch of quarterbacks who are all huge question marks, and with Watson, Sanders, and Green not going anywhere, it’s only fair to wonder where Gabriel currently fits on this team.
The Browns went into last season with four quarterbacks, and two got traded by the end of October as Kenny Pickett was gone before the season started and Joe Flacco was shipped out after just a handful of starts. There is no sensible path to carrying four quarterbacks, but Green could be a practice squad guy while perhaps Watson is the one who gets traded if he can prove he still has some juice.
It’s also ambitious to assume any team would even trade for Gabriel at the moment. His stock has taken a tumble, but he is only 25 and his story is far from over.
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