Why Dillon Gabriel's family is unable to make trip to London for NFL debut

It's time for Cleveland to see what they can get from Dillon Gabriel.

After being selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns will finally be able to see what they have in the former Oregon Duck.

Earlier this week, the organization named Gabriel the starting quarterback ahead of veteran Joe Flacco for the team's upcoming international battle against the Minnesota Vikings. The two teams will collide at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.

Normally, when a player makes their first start in the big leagues, their family will be in attendance to witness the memorable performance, but that won't be the case for Gabriel. In a press conference on Friday, he revealed the unfortunate news that his family is unable to make the trip across the pond.

Both of his parents do not have the ability to travel this weekend.

Dillon Gabriel says his family won’t attend his NFL debut. It would have been a last-second trip. Plus..

“Fun fact: We need to get my dad a passport.” pic.twitter.com/LHaKNH4oIP
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 3, 2025

“Fun fact: Need to get my dad a passport. So we’re learning about that,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel's family resides in Hawaii, so the trip would've been incredibly long as well, especially with such a quick turnaround after being named the starter.

This isn't some regular occurance though, and its impossible to prepare for such an instance. The 24-year-old is the first quarterback to make their NFL debut overseas.

The league first began sending teams to new communities and cultures in the organization's International Series in 2007, with the game being played in London, England, on October 28, 2007. Unlike this meeting between the Browns and Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the early 2000s meeting occurred at Wembley Stadium with the Giants defeating the Dolphins 13–10 in the first regular-season NFL game held outside North America.

There are a lot of factors that might spur the debut of Gabriel. He will not only have to play in front of a variety of NFL supporters but also against one of the league's most deceptive defenses.

In 2025, Minnesota has forced seven turnovers and allowed a maximum of 24 points to an opponent. For the Browns, that will signal off the red sirens.

They've turned the ball over a league-leading eight times, six of which are interceptions from Flacco, and two fumbles. Flacco struggled in more than just allowing turnovers as his QBR of 27.0 ranked second-worst in the NFL behind rookie Cam Ward of the Titans.

The team also boasts the sixth-lowest total offensive yards per game with 279.8, meaning Gabriel is going to have to work from the ground up to build something the Browns can stand on.

He's only appeared in two games this season, completing three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. While its just been garbage time that he's played in, Gabriel has taken the chances he has been given and held them with care.

"You wait for the perfect time, you are going to wait a whole lifetime," Gabriel said in a press conference earlier this week. "So, for me, I've always been ready."

He will have a chance to show what he has learned across his six-year college football career and months within the Browns' organization on Sunday.

"From the second he's been here, he's been working very hard," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He's a very intelligent young man. He's done a nice job throughout practice, and this whole season, he's been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously, now feel like he's ready to go as a starter."