Dillon Gabriel has been impressive throughout training camp for the Cleveland Browns, and he capped off his nice summer with a strong performance in the team’s final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.
He showed enough as a rookie third-round pick to convince the Browns to scrap their plans of keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster, officially ending that experiment by shipping veteran Kenny Pickett off to the Las Vegas Raiders.
With Pickett out of town, his number became available for Gabriel to take, which is exactly what he has opted to do, so he can go back to the No. 8 he wore at Oregon.
Cleveland Browns QB Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) is wearing number 8. Last assigned to Kenny Pickett. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/KI4s4E5Pcq
— NFL Jersey Numbers (@nfl_jersey_num) August 30, 2025
Gabriel was a Heisman Trophy finalist wearing the No. 8 for Oregon last year, where he led the Ducks to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff by throwing for 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions while adding another seven rushing touchdowns as well.
It raised a lot of eyebrows when the Browns selected Gabriel in the third round, as many believed he would be a Day 3 pick due to his size, but Cleveland believes in his poise, decision-making, and accuracy.
Joe Flacco won the four-man quarterback competition to be named the Week 1 starter against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Flacco hasn’t started a full season’s worth of games since 2017.
It’s unlikely he’ll buck that trend at 40 years old, and the Browns need to figure out if Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders can be the long-term solution at quarterback ahead of the 2026 draft.
We could see No. 8 under center at some point this season, and there’s no question Gabriel will be ready when his name is called.
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