The Cleveland Browns entered training camp with four quarterbacks, but now they have trimmed that number to three.
Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick.
That move positioned Dillon Gabriel as Joe Flacco’s primary backup, the head coach officially revealed. The third-round pick from Oregon beat out fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders for the role.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski explained his thinking behind the move.
“It’s such an all-encompassing evaluation,” Stefanski told reporters. “Everything the guys did in the games was important. We also saw a lot of them out here in practice and how they are at their craft. He’s certainly somebody that we think is getting better and better.”
Dillon Gabriel will be our backup QB
"He's certainly somebody that's getting better and better" pic.twitter.com/MlFv649tsF
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 26, 2025
Both rookies appeared in two preseason games this month. Gabriel completed 25 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and one fumble. Sanders went 17 of 29 for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
Gabriel brings an extensive college resume to Cleveland. The Hawaii native started his career at UCF before transferring to Oklahoma and finishing at Oregon.
Over six college seasons, he completed 65.2 percent of his throws for 18,722 yards and 155 touchdowns against 32 interceptions.
He also rushed for 1,209 yards and 33 touchdowns while setting the record for most career starts in college football history with 63.
Gabriel’s college experience and preseason performance helped separate him from Sanders in what became a close competition.
Cleveland will lean on that experience as they prepare for the regular season with their young backup ready to contribute when needed.
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