The Cleveland Browns made a somewhat surprising decision when they took Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Not many people had him going that high, and even fewer had him on the Browns’ radar.
However, they’ve been very high on him for months now, and that has only become more evident with time.
That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to hear offensive coordinator Tommy Rees rave about him and how well he’s looked in the offense.
“When he’s had his opportunity in the preseason, we’ve seen him operate really efficiently in the offense. Dillon has put a lot of work in. He’s been thrown in there in different settings with different reps, different opportunities against new competition. There’s a poise there with him that does give us confidence in his ability to execute,” Rees said.
#Browns Tommy Rees on why they feel confident in Dillon Gabriel as the backup QB: pic.twitter.com/irebriiMjB
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 4, 2025
Shedeur Sanders has a huge fan base and plenty of former athletes pushing for him to be the starter or get more opportunities.
Unfortunately for all of them, Gabriel looks far ahead of him in his development, and Sanders simply isn’t ready to take the field.
The Browns will go with Joe Flacco to start the season, which was the right decision to make, considering they will have to endure a tough schedule to start the campaign.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that they won’t consider pulling the plug on him if things go south or if they believe one of their rookies – most likely Gabriel – is ready to take the field.
Gabriel looked sharp in the preseason, and there have been multiple positive reports coming from training camp about him.
He may not be the most exciting or the flashiest player, but he’s an efficient quarterback who’s doing a good job in his transition to the pros.
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