You could interpret Kevin Stefanski’s decision to bench Joe Flacco for third round selection Dillon Gabriel ahead of Sunday’s game in London one of two ways. You could look at it optimistically as the Cleveland Browns need a quarterback change imminently. Flacco had one job this season and that was to not lose games and instead, he could arguably be the reason this team has three losses.
Flacco is 40 years old and it’s not a surprise that he doesn’t look anything close to what he did in the early years of his NFL career when he led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl. There’s nothing wrong with that as he was always a bridge option, but it was time to make a change at quarterback so the timing makes sense.
The more pessimistic side is Stefanski is setting Dillon Gabriel up to fail, facing a Brian Flores led Minnesota Vikings defense. No defensive coordinator sends as much pressure as Flores and he’s going to feast on a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start. If Gabriel struggles it could be a misnomer as to how good Gabriel can be.
Then again, if he shines against a really good defense, it could mean the Browns have a temporary answer under center. The way this season is going, Gabriel’s more likely to thrive than fail as the Browns’ rookie class has largely helped this team succeed in 2025.
A quarterback move was necessary, but was this week the best time to make the move?
The best thing for Gabriel right now is that his NFL debut isn’t against the Vikings. While he did get to play a little bit this season, getting his first start is a big deal. This defense will be a great test to see if he is actually good enough to play in the NFL. That said, it also won’t be a big deal if he struggles. After all, this defense is one of the best this season.
I guess the only way to know if you have a good rookie quarterback is to throw them into the fire. Gabriel hasn’t seen a defense like this yet in his young NFL career and the Vikings haven’t gotten film on him either. Where the decision makes sense is because this defense is fast and the Browns need a quarterback that will get rid of the ball quickly.
Gabriel’s ability to move around the pocket and be nimble in the backfield will go a long way to help turn this offense around. The Browns needed a new quarterback but there’s no guarantee Gabriel is the answer they need. Truthfully, this team is going to struggle offensively no matter who the quarterback is.
With Gabriel at quarterback Cleveland doesn’t necessarily get better. But they won’t know what they have with their rookies if they never give them a chance to play. The Browns stole a win against Green Bay and that earned Flacco another start; Stefanski finally accepted a change was needed.
Dillon Gabriel is the last shot to salvage the Browns’ elite defense
This team needs good quarterback play if nothing more, for the sake of this defense. The way this defense has been playing they deserve a quarterback that can do enough to keep them competitive. Gabriel could be the player to make sure this offense can do enough to not lose games.
Earlier this season it was clear that Joe Flacco was the problem for this team and ultimately what was holding them back from being better this season. Gabriel could give this offense new life and for Stefanski’s sake, he better hope that’s the case.
This decision could either make or break Stefanski’s future. If Gabriel looks unprepared and not ready to start then fans would question why he made the decision. If Gabriel looks like the future franchise quarterback this team needs, then they’ll question what took so long. It will either prompt the team to stick with Gabriel or make a move for Shedeur Sanders.
We can all agree that Flacco isn’t the answer at this point, but this week, the Browns can find out if they have their answer on the roster right now or not. Gabriel doesn’t have to save this season, he just has to not give away games. That’s easier said than done.