Browns insider explains why Cleveland isn't starting Shedeur Sanders yet

The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a peculiar spot with their quarterbacks as the second half of the season gets underway this Sunday.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has remained committed to Dillon Gabriel as the starter after their bye week. With Gabriel’s struggles against New England two weeks ago, on top of his slow progression with the offense, many fans wonder how much longer the Browns want to ride it out with Gabriel before switching over to their other rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot commented on the situation Tuesday morning regarding where Cleveland’s front office views the current rookie quarterback situation.

“(Dillon Gabriel) does need some time to come up the learning curve and deserves some time to come up the learning curve to see if he can do a little bit better," Cabot said on 92.3 the Fan.

"I think the Browns recognize that he doesn't have a super stellar supporting cast right now...I do think that they would like to see (Shedeur) at some point, but I think they want to see more of Dillon Gabriel now."

🚨@MaryKayCabot w/ @CLETalkingHeads w/ latest on #Browns QB🏈 https://t.co/CcPH0fuLCy pic.twitter.com/xq3xsokxi9
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 4, 2025

“I think that the Browns would like to see Shedeur Sanders at some point this season. I think he will play… I think it’ll be a little later for them… You don't want to throw him in there with nine games left if he’s not ready”.

The Browns offense has been pitiful to say the least in 2025, with their offensive ratings in almost every major category ranking in the bottom 10.

Their offense also has yet to show any promise in terms of scoring, with their offense ranking 30th in the league in that category while still unable to score more than 17 points offensively dating back to last season, aside from their 31-6 win over Miami led by rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and their stout defense.

It’s safe to assume that if this type of offensive play persists over the next few weeks, more changes could be made to try and attempt to increase their productivity and potentially change the outcomes of their games in which they continue to find themselves on the losing side of said outcomes.

The announcement was made this week that Stefanski would be giving up play calling duties to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees after their 2-6 start to the season. This decision does spark some speculation as to whether this change will result in more offensive production, and the possibility that more changes could be in the near future.

The starting quarterback job still belongs to Gabriel, but certain outcomes could result in the consideration for a change based on recent speculation. Sanders did participate in practice on Wednesday after dealing with a back injury as the Browns prepare to travel to the Meadowlands to face the 1-7 New York Jets.