Browns’ Quarterback Plans in Flux After Dillon Gabriel’s Injured-Reserve Move

Cleveland entered the offseason with four quarterbacks on its roster: veteran Deshaun Watson, former Ohio State transfer Shedeur Sanders, 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green, and former Oregon starter Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, who appeared in the preseason and impressed in the Browns’ final exhibition game, suffered a back injury that led the team to place him on injured reserve rather than retain him on the active roster. Prior to the injury, trade rumors linked Gabriel to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons, but the setback halted those discussions.

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He emphasized that the quarterback position carries the highest developmental leverage for the team, noting that decisions will be revisited once Gabriel is cleared.

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• “Roster decisions, it really kind of depends on where you are and how guys have performed throughout the year. So we'll make that decision when that time comes,” — Andrew Berry, Browns general manager “Roster decisions, it really kind of depends on where you are and how guys have performed throughout the year. So we'll make that decision when that time comes,” — Andrew Berry, browns general manager

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• “It has such a big impact on teams and on rosters, and you have a number of developmental spots anyways. That's the highest leverage. If you have a promising young quarterback or a quarterback you want to find out about, you know that's higher leverage than really any other developmental position,” — Andrew Berry, Browns general manager “It has such a big impact on teams and on rosters, and you have a number of developmental spots anyways. That's the highest leverage. If you have a promising young quarterback or a quarterback you want to find out about, you know that's higher leverage than really any other developmental position,” — Andrew Berry, browns general manager

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Gabriel’s 2023 season included 10 games, 110 completions on 185 attempts for 937 yards and seven touchdowns, though he posted a 1-5 record in six starts and sustained a concussion in Week 11. With Gabriel sidelined, rookie Shedeur Sanders assumed the starting role and now competes with Watson, who was named the starter for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns have indicated that Gabriel’s future roster status will be reassessed after his recovery, leaving the final quarterback configuration for the upcoming season unresolved.

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