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Coming off a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in their preseason opener, the Cleveland Browns will look to continue that trend Saturday evening. This time, the Browns will travel to Philadelphia and play the Super Bowl champion Eagles. While rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders started last Friday's win over the Panthers, it appears that Cleveland's other rookie signal caller will start against Philadelphia. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on X (formerly Twitter), Dillon Gabriel's hamstring looks healed up enough for him to start against the Eagles.
“A few #Browns updates: -Isaiah Bond is flying to Cleveland on Saturday evening to finalize an agreement with the team, per source,” reported Fowler on Friday. “Browns will evaluate Dillon Gabriel's hamstring Saturday morning, but sources express optimism that he will start vs. Philadelphia.”
The third-round selection didn't play in the preseason opener while nursing the ailing hamstring. Now, he'll get his chance to direct the offense in a game setting. Even though it's only a preseason matchup, seeing how Gabriel will look against an opposing defense should only help head coach Kevin Stefanski in determining the team's starting quarterback. While veteran Joe Flacco is still the leader to start Week 1, Sanders' performance last weekend started to stoke doubts. Can Gabriel stoke a few doubts of his own Saturday night?
Multiple quarterbacks competing for Browns starting gig
While the former Oregon Duck likely won't face too many Eagles defensive starters on Saturday, it will be a useful exercise to see just how far along he is against an NFL defense. Stefanski's offense is tailored for quarterbacks like Sanders and Gabriel. Their accuracy and sense of timing are major keys to success, as Sanders showed last weekend in Carolina. While Sanders is out for Saturday's matchup with the oblique injury he's nursing (according to Tom Pelissero on X, formerly Twitter), the team is optimistic he'll be back for the preseason finale.
No matter how well Gabriel does on Saturday, and/or next week as well, the starting gig is still Flacco's to lose. The veteran has succeeded under Stefanski before. The duo are looking to do the exact same thing they did in 2023, when Flacco's insertion into the starting role led to an unlikely playoff bid. Could the Browns make the same type of run if Gabriel or Sanders started instead? There's only one way to find out.
