The Cleveland Browns started their 41st quarterback since 1999 on Sunday against the Vikings. Unfortunately for the guy hoping to be quarterback No. 42, the 41st guy played pretty well.
No, the Browns didn't win on Sunday, but rookie Dillon Gabriel did a solid job, putting the team in position to win until a late Vikings touchdown drive ended his shot at getting a win in his NFL debut.
Gabriel's performance is great news for Cleveland as it gives the franchise something to build on, but it's not great news for a different Browns rookie quarterback.
Shedeur Sanders probably won't get his shot anytime soon
Dillon Gabriel's NFL debut isn't to blow anyone away if they're just looking at the numbers, but he was pretty good. Gabriel was 19-for-33 for 190 yards with two touchdowns and didn't officially throw an interception thanks to a poorly timed Kevin O'Connell timeout that negated what would have been a pick on a Hail Mary at the end of the game.
Additionally, Gabriel was only sacked twice for a loss of eight yards, and he didn't fumble. That start probably instantly puts him among the top half of all Browns quarterbacks this century.
There's more growth needed still, but it was an encouraging start. It also probably killed any chance of Shedeur Sanders getting a shot this season.
Sanders, the team's other rookie quarterback, was ranked higher than Gabriel by basically every analyst in the world before the draft, but Cleveland took Gabriel multiple rounds ahead of him and named him the No. 2 quarterback behind Joe Flacco to start the season.
Still, there was a viable path to Sanders getting playing time this year, which was for Gabriel to be a total disaster once he hit the field. It wasn't the likeliest path, but it existed. If it became clear that Gabriel wasn't the answer and the Browns kept on floundering, going to Sanders made more sense than going back to Flacco would have made.
But now, it's hard to see that happening. The guy we saw at quarterback on Sunday was a guy who belongs on an NFL field. Cleveland drafted Gabriel ahead of Sanders, so they're likely going to be pretty invested in making Gabriel work. As long as he continues to look like a useful NFL quarterback, the Browns will continue to roll him out.
Do I personally believe that Sanders is more skilled than Gabriel? Yes, but talent isn't everything. Gabriel looks more prepared to lead an NFL offense and the best thing for Cleveland at this point is to just keep letting him do that.