Much like Shedeur Sanders had last week against the Carolina Panthers in the Cleveland Browns’ first preseason game of 2025, Dillon Gabriel has a golden opportunity to make an impression on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff. Only for Gabriel, it’s less about trying to make the Browns roster and trying to drive up his trade value.
Though the Browns have been mum on how they’re going to handle their quarterback situation, one thing doesn’t have to be spoken on and that’s Gabriel is probably the odd man out, assuming Pickett is already considered off this team. Otherwise, they’re both dead to rights when it comes to the Browns quarterback room.
I’m sure Cleveland would want nothing more than the perfect opportunity to benefit off Gabriel by trading him. That would take them from five active quarterbacks to four. A headache that gets a slight solution, but still has the Browns further from getting any more clarity.
Dillon Gabriel’s future with the Cleveland Browns hinges on his NFL preseason debut
Gabriel can learn from Sanders’ debut. He can learn what it will take to convince the Browns to keep as well as do enough to drive up his trade value and land with another team. His best is to hope another team takes a chance on him. While Cleveland was his first choice, they can’t avoid that Sanders is the better option.
There’s several teams in the NFL that could benefit from a backup option that’s proven to be able to hold their own. And Gabriel’s preseason debut will probably seal his fate with the Browns one way or the other. They either have to accept that they’re no closer to making a decision or that Gabriel has garnered interest from someone else.
The Browns have a quarterback problem they’re seemingly shoving to the side until they have to address it when finalizing their 53-man roster. Gabriel can solve all of that with a standout performance. Sure, he could complicate, but the Browns know they can’t let Sanders walk and keeping all four is a terrible idea.
Gabriel can simply do enough to not win a roster spot but convince another team he’s worth taking a chance. Then that will leave the Browns with a decision on the four other quarterbacks in their quarterback room.