Predicting Where Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Ends Up By the End of the Season

Where will the former starter be after just his second year?

Aug 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (6) elebrates with Cleveland Browns center Kingsley Eguakun (65) after a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the Cleveland Browns, the quarterback position has stayed level for the first four weeks of the season, as Deshaun Watson has led the team to a 3-1 record. Shedeur Sanders remains the backup, while rookie Taylen Green sits behind him.

Yesterday, the Browns designated second-year QB Dillon Gabriel to return to practice after he suffered a back injury in the final preseason game vs. the Patriots. Gabriel now has a 21-day practice window, during which Cleveland can activate him at any time. 

Cleveland will most likely slide Gabriel into the QB3 spot behind Watson and Sanders, but if they don't activate him in those 21 days, he will either be cut or remain in the IR spot for the whole season.

Gabriel was the 94th overall pick in the 2025 Draft; many Browns fans questioned the pick at the time given when he was taken and the plan for him. In Gabriel’s defense, he started 10 games last year, playing solid football for a backup. His completion percentage being below 60% and yards per attempt at just 5.1 put him among the lowest in the league.

So what should the plan be for a player like Gabriel? We know he can be a solid backup at any place, but his ceiling as a player seems limited; his future will most likely be on another team.

We have unfortunately seen countless starting quarterbacks go down with injury in just the first four weeks of the NFL season (Jayden Daniels, Jaxson Dart, Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, and Kyler Murray, to name a few), so there will always be a market for a backup in the modern NFL. 

If Cleveland was able to get any draft compensation for Gabriel, I think they will take it; we have already seen the Vikings trade away former first-rounder JJ McCarthy for just a fifth-rounder. The Atlanta Falcons were the favorite pick for Gabriel to land, as they are coached by former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and have kept their lefties (Penix & Tagovailoa) as their starter and backup.

The Falcons would be the most reasonable team for Gabriel, but other teams that do not have an established guy at backup could make a move for him. That includes teams like the Jets, Buccaneers, Jaguars, or Dolphins, who have either rookies or players with no experience starting in their backup position. 

The future of Dillon Gabriel does not look to be in Cleveland, and the decision of keeping him or not may come sooner rather than later.