The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation remains fluid as training camp approaches, and one player who has drawn relatively little attention could still factor into the team’s plans.
Dillon Gabriel, a third-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, has largely slipped from the spotlight while Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have commanded most of the first-team work this spring. Yet the idea that Gabriel will automatically be traded or released before the regular season is not settled.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic challenged the prevailing view during an appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
“The assumption is that Dillon Gabriel is not going to be here,” Lloyd said. “I’m not positive he won’t be here. I still think there’s a chance he’s here.”
Gabriel faces steep competition for the Week 1 starting role. Still, the Cleveland Browns invested a mid-round pick in him and saw him gain meaningful experience as a rookie. He started six games last season, completing 59.2 percent of his passes for 937 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. His record stood at 1-5 before a concussion created an opening for Sanders to step in.
Teams rarely keep four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster, so roster decisions will come. One option gaining traction is moving sixth-round rookie Taylen Green to the practice squad. The 6-foot-6 passer brings size and mobility that intrigue coaches as a long-term project, but he remains raw.
Lloyd pointed to that possibility.
“They might be able to slide him onto the practice squad. He’s a little bit different because he’s more of an athlete,” Lloyd said. “I think the move is probably Taylen Green to the practice squad.”
Jay Crawford, Lloyd’s co-host on the show, noted that Gabriel’s higher draft status could influence the final call.
“It was two different drafts and everything else, but he was a higher draft selection,” Crawford said. “I think GMs tend to look at that and say they have more investment.”
Among the four quarterbacks currently on the roster, Watson appears the most secure. He is entering the final year of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract he signed after arriving via trade in 2022 and can hit free agency afterward. Contract realities often outweigh pure competition in such cases.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter addressed the numbers directly.
“Four quarterbacks on the roster. And there will not be four quarterbacks when the season starts,” Schefter said. “Right now they have Deshaun Watson — who is going to be there — Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and rookie quarterback Taylen Green.”
Quarterbacks and rookies have already reported for camp. Veterans are scheduled to join them on July 28, setting the stage for more intense evaluation.
Gabriel’s path is unclear, but the combination of draft capital, limited but real playing time, and the developmental status of the newest addition gives the organization reasons to pause before making a final decision. Coaches will have several weeks of practices and preseason games to sort through the depth chart.
For now, the former Oregon standout remains in the mix rather than on the way out. How the Cleveland Browns ultimately handle the surplus of quarterbacks will become clearer once the full roster is on the field and competition intensifies.
