The Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation has been one of the most talked-about situations in the NFL throughout the offseason. Although Joe Flacco was named the starter, all eyes are still on rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. On Monday, former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky shared a head-turning take about Gabriel.
Orlovsky, who covers the NFL for ESPN, claims that he absolutely loves what he sees from the former Oregon Ducks quarterback. He believes Gabriel has played well enough in training camp and the preseason to be named the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.
“Dillon Gabriel's tape is very impressive. Should clearly be the #2 QB for the Browns.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has not officially named which quarterback will be the immediate backup to Flacco. It very well could be Dillon Gabriel. However, both Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett are also options. With the Week 1 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals around the corner, the Browns will likely name the official pecking order of the quarterback room soon.
The coaching staff is seemingly favoring experience over youth to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Joe Flacco is entering his 18th year of his career. His playing time has been a bit sporadic for the last seven years, as the 40-year-old quarterback has stepped in for several teams, like the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Browns, and Indianapolis Colts.
Meanwhile, Dillon Gabriel joins the franchise as a third-round pick. He proved to be a decent quarterback during his one-year stint at Oregon after recording 3,857 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while owning a 72.9% completion percentage. He is actually rather experienced, entering the NFL as a rookie, as Gabriel played six seasons at the collegiate level.
Look for the Browns to finalize the 53-man roster by Tuesday's 4 p.m. EST deadline and announce the official depth chart not long after. Although the quarterback room is becoming clearer with the regular season about to begin, all eyes will likely remain on Cleveland due to the rookies on the team.
