The Cleveland Browns have given each of their rookie quarterbacks one preseason game to show what they can do.
So far, so good for both of them.
Dillon Gabriel had an efficient game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and though turnovers stained an otherwise solid debut, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports still loved what he saw.
Dubin wrote that Gabriel had the third-best performance among rookie quarterbacks last week, even better than No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans.
“Gabriel started the game showcasing why the Browns thought he was worth a draft pick, quickly getting through progressions and taking all of the underneath stuff to efficiently move the ball down the field. None of this is electric, but keeping the offense on time and making quick decisions is what the Browns wanted to see from him, and that’s what he was giving them. WAS. Until he tried to make a play outside the structure of the offense late in the down, and you saw some of his limitations come to light on this pick-six. Still, it was a solid debut overall for Gabriel, even with the big mistake,” Dubin wrote.
Dubin ranked Gabriel behind only Quinn Ewers of the Miami Dolphins and Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants.
Gabriel, as expected, didn’t wow anybody with his athleticism or his ability to go off script.
Then again, he didn’t need to do that.
He proved why he belonged in the NFL by playing mostly mistake-free football and keeping the chains moving.
He’s not going to make a lot of highlight plays, but he did show some of the reasons the Browns were so high on him and took him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, two rounds before Shedeur Sanders, who played in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
The Browns announced that Joe Flacco will be their starting quarterback, and the veteran will likely be out there for a drive or two in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Browns give Gabriel and Sanders another opportunity to showcase their skills and make a case to be Flacco’s primary backup.
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