Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Confirmed starter following bye
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that he will stick with Gabriel at quarterback following the Week 9 bye, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Gabriel had a few good moments during Cleveland's 32-13 loss to the Patriots, including a pair of touchdown strikes, his first since Week 5. Unfortunately for the Browns, the rookie threw two interceptions and was whistled for a safety in the fourth quarter when he intentionally grounded a pass while in his own end zone. If Stefanski eventually makes a change, Gabriel would likely be replaced by Shedeur Sanders, who was inactive Week 8 due to a back injury,
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Mixed bag in big loss
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Gabriel completed 21 of 35 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in Sunday's 32-13 loss to the Patriots. He added 13 yards on his only carry.
The rookie QB barely involved his wide receivers in the game plan, as just three of his 21 completions went to WRs, and his two TDs went to tight ends Harold Fannin and David Njoku. Gabriel also threw the first two INTs of his NFL career however, and he's failed to reach 200 passing yards in three of his four starts since replacing Joe Flacco under center for the Browns. Gabriel will get a chance to regroup on the team's Week 9 bye before taking on the struggling Jets in Week 10.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Plays game-manager role in win
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Gabriel completed 13 of 18 passes for 116 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed four times for 12 yards in the Browns' 31-6 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
The rookie wasn't asked to do much, and the fact the Browns were able to jump out to a 17-6 halftime lead gave head coach Kevin Stefanski flexibility in how he deployed his young signal-caller. Quinshon Judkins, who scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Browns defense, which picked off Tua Tagovailoa three times and also recorded a pair of sacks, did most of the heavy lifting, leading to Gabriel's lowest passing yardage total yet in three games as a starter. The 2025 third-round pick will face off with Drake Maye and the Patriots on the road in Week 8 next Sunday afternoon.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Can't get going in Pittsburgh
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Gabriel completed 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Steelers.
Gabriel was constantly under pressure, taking six sacks while averaging only 4.25 yards per attempt. Positively, he did continue to show a connection with fellow rookie tight end Harold Fannin, as the duo connected for a 25-yard gain -- the longest of the day for both Gabriel and the team. Gabriel should have the chance to put together a better performance in Week 7 when the Browns host the Dolphins.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Solid in first NFL start
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Gabriel completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Vikings. He added two rushes for five yards.
Gabriel drew his first NFL start in a tough situation, traveling overseas to London while facing one of the more intricate defenses in the league. He handled himself well, as he didn't turn the ball over and was sacked only twice. While Gabriel primarily worked in the short areas of the field, he did manage a pair of completions of more than 20 yards and led two lengthy touchdown drives. There will still be plenty of chatter about the quarterback situation in Cleveland, but Gabriel made a positive first impression as the team's starter.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Taking over as starter
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The Browns announced that Gabriel will start Sunday's game against the Vikings in London, Kelsey Russo of the team's official site reports.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the rookie third-round pick will take over the top job from Joe Flacco, who will move into the No. 2 role, who led the Browns to a 1-3 record through the first four games of the season. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, will remain third on the depth chart. Gabriel possesses more mobility than Flacco, who had been hit 19 times over the last two games according to Cleveland.com. The signal-caller's ability to provide some scrambling ability could prove to be helpful behind an offensive line that's been without both its starting tackles of late. That said, Gabriel could preside over a run-based attack headlined by rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, which could limit the quarterback's passing volume and his overall fantasy appeal.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Looks headed for Week 5 start
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Gabriel is expected to replace Joe Flacco as the Browns' starting quarterback beginning with Sunday's game against the Vikings in London, Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reports.
After limping to a 1-3 start to the season while failing to score more than 17 points in any game under Flacco's direction, the Browns look set to turn the offense over to Gabriel. The FBS career leader with 155 touchdown passes over a six-year collegiate career that included stops at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, Gabriel beat out fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders for the top backup role coming out of training camp. Gabriel -- who has completed three of four pass attempts for 19 yards and a touchdown between appearances at the tail end of blowout losses in Weeks 2 and 4 -- brings far more mobility to the table than Flacco, which could be important behind an offensive line dealing with injuries at both tackle spots. The 2025 third-round pick boasts only average arm strength and may not be asked to direct a high-volume passing attack, however. The Browns have yet to officially confirm any change at quarterback for Week 5, but expect head coach Kevin Stefanski to address the matter when he speaks to the media Wednesday.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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The Browns might be on the verge of a quarterback change soon with Joe Flacco struggling, and Gabriel is worth adding in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB. If he does start for Cleveland, then Gabriel could be useful in deeper leagues, so stash him now to get ahead of any potential personnel move for the Browns.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Leads final possession
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Gabriel played three snaps and tossed an incompletion on his lone pass attempt in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Lions.
Gabriel replaced starter Joe Flacco for the inconsequential final drive of the day. Cleveland's offense once again sputtered, scoring its fewest points of the season Sunday to bring its average to 14.0 points per game through four weeks. While the offense's struggles can't entirely be blamed on Flacco -- the Browns started their fourth different offensive line combination in four games, and the receivers' room is thin and plagued by drops -- the writing is on the wall for a potential change at quarterback. Gabriel would presumably be first in line to start over fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, though head coach Kevin Stefanski refuted the notion that a switch at quarterback is imminent following Sunday's loss, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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The Browns are 0-2, and Joe Flacco could get benched at some point in the near future. Gabriel appears to be next in line to start in Cleveland, and he's worth stashing in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Leads garbage-time drive
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Gabriel completed three of three passes for 19 yards and threw a touchdown pass in Sunday's 41-17 loss to Baltimore in Week 2.
The Browns' offense stumbled for a second consecutive week, and starting quarterback Joe Flacco was eventually removed late in the fourth quarter with the Ravens up by 31 points. Gabriel entered for the Browns' final possession, which ended with the rookie quarterback's eight-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Dylan Sampson. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski told Zac Jackson of The Athletic that he's not considering a quarterback change. That may be the case in September, but the Browns' 0-2 start could snowball, and playing a 40-year-old quarterback may not be the best path forward for the franchise.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Tosses TD in preseason finale
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Gabriel completed 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
Entering the game in the second quarter after No. 1 quarterback Joe Flacco handled the Browns' first three drives, Gabriel quickly led the team to 10 points before halftime, highlighted by a three-yard TD toss to Gage Larvadain with 17 seconds left on the clock. The absence of Kenny Pickett (hamstring) during training camp and the preseason has provided Gabriel with valuable reps, and the 2025 third-round pick has rarely looked out of place. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders remains in the mix for a spot behind Flacco as well, but Gabriel has made a solid case to begin the season in the No. 3 role, if not No. 2.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Could get chance to start Saturday
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Gabriel has an opportunity to potentially start Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles with Shedeur Sanders (oblique) and Kenny Pickett (hamstring) both nursing injuries, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hasn't yet named a starter for Saturday's exhibition matchup, but with Sanders and Pickett both banged-up and Joe Flacco expected to rest, Gabriel seems a likely candidate to not only start but potentially handle a substantial amount of expanded reps. Deshaun Watson (Achilles) remains on the active/PUP list, meaning the only other healthy quarterback currently on the roster able to challenge Gabriel for playing time Saturday is Tyler Huntley. Gabriel missed Cleveland's preseason opener due to a hamstring injury of his own, so the team may also have extra motivation to allot the 2025 third-rounder increased exhibition reps for evaluation purposes.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Ready for team drills
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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Gabriel (hamstring) will participate in 11-on-11 drills, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Gabriel had been limited in practice for roughly a week due to a hamstring injury, which also forced him to sit out Friday's preseason opener against the Panthers, but he now appears back to full health. With Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett (hamstring) and Deshaun Watson (Achilles) all sidelined versus Carolina, fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders got a chance to log substantial exhibition action and impressed with two touchdown passes. Gabriel may have to make up lost ground in Saturday's road preseason game against the Eagles.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Absent from team drills
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Gabriel (hamstring) won't participate in 11-on-11 drills Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Gabriel is one of three Browns quarterbacks who won't play in Friday's preseason opener in Carolina, with Shedeur Sandersand Tyler Huntley set to see action in the contest. The 2025 third-round pick sustained a hamstring injury in practice last Saturday and won't push it for the remainder of the week. He is still competing for his spot on the roster in what is a very crowded quarterback room.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Limited Monday due to hamstring
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Gabriel (hamstring) will be limited in Monday's practice, per coach Kevin Stefanski, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Stefanski also told Oyefusi that Gabriel sustained and reported the hamstring injury in practice Saturday. Shedeur Sanders (arm) is returning to full participation Monday alongside Joe Flacco, while Gabriel's limited participation in team drills will be more than Kenny Pickett (hamstring) puts forth. It remains to be seen what combination of the four quarterback Cleveland deploys in its preseason opener Thursday against the Panthers.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Getting some first-team reps
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Gabriel has gotten reps with the first-team offense and faced the first-team defense during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
As veterans, both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have been first in line for reps during minicamp. However, Flacco has observed large portions of the session due to his veteran status, allowing Gabriel to get valuable reps. Jackson noted that Gabriel has struggled early on in the practices but has gotten better as the days have progressed.
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Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Going to Cleveland
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The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 94th overall.
Cleveland was expected to leave this draft with at least one quarterback, but Gabriel wasn't the prospect most anticipated. Gabriel had a lengthy college career with three productive stops at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon to make him the NCAA's all-time leader in total touchdowns (189). An undersized southpaw (5-foot-11, 205), Gabriel possesses legitimate NFL arm strength and has a great feel in the pocket. Gabriel has 63 starts to his credit and learned several different offenses in college, which bodes well for the mental transition to the league. It's unlikely that Gabriel develops into a starter in the NFL, but it was worth it for the Browns to take a shot on him at this stage.
