The Cleveland Browns have been facing a significant personnel decision going all the way back to the 2026 NFL Draft. After selecting Taylen Green in the sixth round, the Browns had four quarterbacks who could wind up on their 53-man roster.
With Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel also on hand, Cleveland was able to deal with the first hurdle by placing Gabriel on injured reserve on cutdown day. He suffered a back injury in the preseason finale, which was an unfortunate setback for him but bought the Browns some time.
After sitting out the minimum four weeks, Cleveland did not hesitate to open Gabriel’s practice window as soon as it could. That 21-day limit was coming up this week, and the organization has taken the next step.
According to NFL Network insider Mike Garofolo, the Browns have made a major move with Gabriel, putting him on the active roster and keeping all of their other QBs.
“The Browns activated QB Dillon Gabriel off IR,” Garofolo posted.
The #Browns activated QB Dillon Gabriel off IR.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 26, 2026
The Browns reportedly waived rookie tight end Carsen Ryan, a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft, to make room for Gabriel. So, Cleveland continues to avoid exposing Green to waivers in an effort to get him on the practice squad, which was another potential option and where Ryan might be headed.
Gabriel never seemed to be a real threat in Cleveland’s quarterback competition, which ended with Watson beating out Sanders for the starting job. Yet the Browns still saw a role for Gabriel, perhaps as a long-term backup.
It will be interesting to see if the depth chart behind Watson changes at any point, or if this increases the trade rumors surrounding Sanders as the NFL deadline approaches. Teams rarely keep four quarterbacks on their active roster, and with Green showing no sign of taking the field anytime soon, even as an athletically gifted gadget player, it will be worth watching how all of this sorts out.
For now, Gabriel has a chance to convince the coaching staff that he deserves another look, either during this season or in the future.
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