Coach Todd Monken said Monday that Gabriel's back injury is not considered serious, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Gabriel has been placed on injured reserve to begin the season, so he'll be required to miss at least the first four games of 2026. It sounds like it was more of a procedural move by Cleveland to buy the team more time to sort out its quarterback situation, one that also involves starter Deshaun Watson and current backups Shedeur Sanders and rookie Taylen Green. Gabriel showed enough in the preseason to warrant a roster spot, either in Cleveland or elsewhere.