The Cleveland Browns designated quarterback Dillon Gabriel and defensive tackle Kalia Davis to return to practice from injured reserve on Tuesday, opening a 21-day window for each player.
The team can activate either player to the 53-man roster at any point during that period. If the Browns do not activate them before the window closes, both will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
Gabriel has been on injured reserve with a back injury since the Browns made final roster cuts on Aug. 30. Davis has been on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury since Sept. 1.
The practice designation lets Gabriel work with the team again, but it does not place him on the active roster. A separate transaction would be required before he could play in a game.
Gabriel, selected in the third round of the 2025 draft, appeared in 10 games as a rookie. He completed 110 of 185 passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
That production came at a 59.5% completion rate with an 80.8 passer rating. He also rushed 14 times for 86 yards.His strongest case for a larger role came in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-13 victory.
He directed five scoring drives in the first half of that game. The performance came after he had received limited practice reps behind the established quarterbacks during training camp.
Head coach Todd Monken said, “That’s great for him. I know it’s been hard, let’s be real about it. But he’s a prideful guy who’s had a lot of success in his career, and all he does is prepare. That’s all he does. He comes to work every day and prepares like a pro. You can see he can really operate; he gets what we want to do, and he has a certain confidence about him when he takes the field. I’m fired up.”
The Browns currently list Deshaun Watson as the starter, Shedeur Sanders as the backup and rookie Taylen Green third on the depth chart. Green was a sixth-round pick in 2026.
Adding Gabriel to the active roster would leave the Browns with four quarterbacks. That choice would require using a roster spot that could otherwise go to another position.
One option would be to waive Green and attempt to re-sign him to the practice squad. That move would expose him to claims from other teams.
A trade of a backup quarterback remains another possibility, though the decision to open Gabriel’s practice window does not signal that a deal is close.
The Browns also signed wide receiver James Proche II and defensive tackle Chris Williams to the practice squad on Tuesday while releasing three players from that unit.
Gabriel signed a four-year contract worth about $6.23 million after the 2025 draft. He has not appeared in a regular-season game in 2026 because of the back injury.
