Who's next to be benched at QB? After Browns' swap to Dillon Gabriel, these teams could consider moves

Joe Flacco is out and Dillon Gabriel is in at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. The swap is notable but wholly unsurprising, given Flacco was always destined to serve as a placeholder for Kevin Stefanski's offense.

It's basically the same thing that was said about the New York Giants when they turned to rookie Jaxson Dart, demoting veteran Russell Wilson after the latter proved a bit too sluggish in his role as the season-opening starter.

Both teams elevated their youngsters not only for an immediate boost but for a chance to evaluate their long-term prospects at the game's most important position. And they may not be the last clubs to make such a switch.

A handful of other organizations are still enduring uneven quarterback play roughly a quarter of the way into the 2025 schedule, and some of them have increasingly intriguing backup plans under center. So which teams could be next to make a big switch? Who's most likely to follow in the Browns' and Giants' footsteps?

Here are some of the top candidates to change starting quarterbacks in the coming weeks and months:

Carolina Panthers

Current QB: Bryce Young | Backup: Andy Dalton

Coach Dave Canales has repeatedly defended Young as the club's starter despite a bumpy start to the year, but he notably benched the former No. 1 overall pick after just two games in 2024. Demoting the Alabama product a second time in two years would be tantamount to waving the white flag on Young's future as "the guy," but at some point, Canales needs to get something going through the air; everything looks like hard work for his passing attacks, and the Panthers are just 7-25 in games Young has started since his arrival. That's partially an indictment of the poor weaponry at his disposal, but Dalton has at least proven capable of pushing the ball downfield. No matter how you slice it, this pivot would mark a page-turning to 2026.

Cincinnati Bengals

Current QB: Jake Browning | Backup: Brett Rypien

Plenty of Bengals fans figured Browning would be just fine replacing the injured Joe Burrow considering how efficiently he performed going 4-3 as a Burrow fill-in back in 2023. Well, things have changed. Swallowed up in his first two emergency starts, Browning now looks like a major liability for a club that was already shaky with the ever-poised Burrow under center. Rypien is your standard replacement-level reserve, but the more enticing scenario for Cincinnati is an external addition. We doubt they'll actually pull the trigger, but acquiring a seasoned vet like Kirk Cousins would at least give wideouts like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins legitimate reason to look forward to Sundays for the better part of the next few months.

Las Vegas Raiders

Current QB: Geno Smith | Backup: Kenny Pickett

Pete Carroll's whole deal as the new coach was to establish a win-now operation, and Smith was acquired to lead the charge, bringing veteran gravitas to the quarterback spot. Unfortunately, his worst tendencies as a risk-taker have contributed to the Raiders' slow start; he leads the NFL with seven picks in four games. Pickett, meanwhile, may be best known for bouncing between clubs as a trade chip, but he's still just 27, only a couple years removed from serving as a full-timer with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Raiders offense keeps having issues with ball security, isn't it possible Carroll will want to see what he has in the younger Pickett before opting for a total reboot of the position next offseason?

New Orleans Saints

Current QB: Spencer Rattler | Backup: Tyler Shough

The Saints are winless, which was to be expected, but amid the messiness of their overhaul, Rattler has actually fared reasonably well, throwing five scores to just one pick in his first action as a season-opening starter. Still, the losses keep piling up, and coach Kellen Moore had a direct hand in adding Shough as a second-round draft pick this spring. It stands to reason, if the Saints aren't going anywhere in 2025, he'll prefer to see his own long-term prospect in live action. Odds are New Orleans will be searching for additional quarterback help come 2026 no matter how the current depth chart shakes out, but no one -- not even Rattler advocates -- would be stunned to see a change for the sake of assessing all options.