Dillon Gabriel's training camp rise all but confirms that Deshaun Watson is cooked

Remember when it looked like the Cleveland Browns' quarterback battle was narrowed down to two guys and wouldn't be decided until the second week of preseason? Head coach Todd Monken read those reports and decided to throw a wrench in that process.

The team's current third-string passer, Dillon Gabriel, is apparently impressing the former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator to the point where he's gradually earned more first-team snaps. That means less opportunity for presumed starter Deshaun Watson and 2025 rookie Shedeur Sanders, both of whom seem to be struggling a bit as camp progresses.

"Everybody's competing, but you're not guaranteed the same amount of reps," Monken told reporters Monday. "So it's up to the player to take advantage and maximize those reps, which I feel like Dillon has done. So we'll see as we move forward, if that continues, we'll continue to up his reps. He's earned that. That's what every player should expect, right? If they play well, you have to up the reps, or what's the purpose of playing well?"

Dillon Gabriel's increased opportunity with Browns spells doom for Deshaun Watson

Only one thing can be true: Either Gabriel has seriously improved upon his 2025 form — in which he went 1-6 as a starter — or Watson and Sanders are performing worse in Monken's eyes than everyone else has seen so far at training camp. That's significant considering Watson's behemoth contract is still looming over the team. Typically a QB getting paid $41 million won't sit on the bench if he's healthy and not totally incompetent.

Gabriel put up 937 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in 10 appearances last year, which doesn't appear to be terrible upon first glance. But his abysmal 31.4 QBR tells a different story. He completed just 59.5 percent of his passes (110-for-185) and looked to truly struggle with his progressions. If that part of his game has shown significant improvement, there may be a method to Monken's madness.

Watson hasn't played meaningful football in multiple seasons and despite Sanders' rookie shortcomings, the 24-year-old is just as familiar with the current system as Gabriel. There's an inside track the former Oregon passer appears to be taking advantage of, and folks may need to start paying attention — especially Watson.

The 30-year-old last took the field in 2024, and he hasn't played a full season since his final campaign with the Houston Texans in 2020. Watson will need to recapture his old form in order for Monken to feel comfortable(ish) about punting on this season while the $41 million mistake works its way out of the building.

There's still a lot of time left before Monken has to make a decision, which means there's ample opportunity for anybody to step up. The Browns are maintaining their desire to get through the second week of preseason before crowning a winner. They have no better idea of who is leading the competition than we do.

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