The Cleveland Browns quarterback storylines extend well beyond the battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, and Todd Monken now faces a separate but equally important decision regarding the back of his quarterback room. Following strong performances from both Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green in Thursday’s preseason finale win over New England, Monken acknowledged that trimming the room down to a workable number will not be a simple task. With Gabriel completing 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns and Green adding both passing and rushing production of his own, both quarterbacks made compelling cases to stick around as the roster gets finalized.
Monken addressed the difficulty of the decision facing his coaching staff.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about, because I thought they both did some really good things. I really think the way they played was how I thought they would play. Dillon really within himself was very poised within himself, and then Taylen was going to have some splash plays, get him on the perimeter, use his athleticism, and keep working to refine his passing. It was fun to watch them play. But just like every position, we’re going to have to cut it down. We can’t keep everybody,” Monken said.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about. Just like every position, we’re gonna have to cut it down. We can’t keep everybody.”#Browns head coach Todd Monken following the performances from QBs Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green in the preseason win over the #Patriots pic.twitter.com/BbHyMgnpGn
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 28, 2026
Gabriel’s performance against the Patriots continued a pattern of poised, efficient play that has defined much of his time on the roster since being drafted in the third round of the 2025 draft. His ability to operate within structure and distribute the ball accurately, reflected in a perfect passer rating during the finale, gives the coaching staff a reliable option who understands his role within the offense. Green, on the other hand, offers a different value proposition entirely, leaning on his athleticism to create explosive plays both through the air and on the ground, evidenced by his 66 rushing yards on just 8 carries against New England.
The practical reality facing Monken is that carrying 4 quarterbacks would require sacrificing depth at another position heading into the regular season. It becomes particularly difficult when both players in question have shown legitimate flashes of the traits that made them intriguing prospects in the first place. Whichever quarterback does not make the initial 53-man roster would likely become a practice squad candidate, assuming he clears waivers, giving the organization a potential path to retain them.
Monken’s genuine praise for both Gabriel and Green suggests the organization values the development both passers have shown, making this a very difficult decision.
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