Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel played the first half of Sunday’s Week 11 matchup against the Ravens, but he was evaluated for a concussion at halftime and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Shedeur Sanders entered the game in relief of Gabriel and got his first taste of regular season action at the professional level.
Sanders, of course, was one of the most-discussed players in this year’s NFL news cycle. The polarizing prospect was once considered a first-round talent, but he ultimately dropped to the fifth round of the 2025 draft before the Browns finally put an end to his precipitous slide (two rounds after Cleveland selected Gabriel). Veteran Joe Flacco opened the season as the club’s starting quarterback, but following his demotion in favor of Gabriel, Sanders remained the third-string passer.
Even after the trade sending Flacco to the Bengals, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not immediately name Sanders as Gabriel’s backup. Practice squadder Bailey Zappe appeared to be in consideration for the role, which led to further questions about Sanders’ progress in practice.
Although Stefanski ultimately did tap Sanders as the Browns’ QB2 behind Gabriel, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that the team did not seem anxious to get the second-generation talent into a game. In the end, Gabriel’s head injury forced Stefanski’s hand.
At the end of September, Albert Breer of SI.com expressed his belief that neither Gabriel nor Sanders could do anything this season to prevent the Browns from selecting a passer in the first round of the 2026 draft. Through the first five starts of his pro career, Gabriel did not do anything to refute that notion, as he led the team to a 1-4 record and a poor quarterback rating and QBR of 80.4 and 32.3, respectively.
Breer recently reiterated his opinion that Cleveland’s 2026 starting quarterback is not presently on the roster. Interestingly, however, he said he can envision a scenario in which Deshaun Watson takes the field this season.
Watson, who is recovering from a second Achilles tear, is presently on the Browns’ reserve/PUP list. The latest reporting on the matter suggested the embattled passer is unlikely to play in 2025, but Breer’s note injects a little more intrigue into the situation.
Due to Watson’s albatross contract, the Browns would be hit with a ghastly $131.16MM dead cap charge if they were to cut him in the offseason, which lends credence to Breer’s belief that it can’t hurt to have Cleveland trot him out this season if he is healthy enough to play. On the other hand, that would obviously prevent additional evaluation of Gabriel and/or Sanders.
The Browns went into halftime of the Baltimore contest with a 16-10 lead but lost 23-16. Sanders was unable to engineer any scoring drives, and he completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. He added three rushes for 16 yards.
In fairness to Sanders, he had taken no practice reps with the first-team offense, as Stefanski told reporters after the game (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic). Stefanski added Gabriel will return to his QB1 post whenever he clears the concussion protocol.
Shedeur’s debut: 4/16 for 47 yards, 1 int, sacked twice, 13.5 rating
and they said he couldnt QB!
Playing in an offense Cleveland built around Gabriel for Gabriel lmao.
Only Cleveland would build an offense around 1 QB ensuring no other QB on the roster can run it. But I mean Browns gonna Browns
A rough rookie debut, but he did show a few sparks (and I’m no Cleveland fan) It would be good to see how he does with more first-team reps.
Won’t matter. The Browns ensured Sanders nor any QB will play well once they publicly admitted they’re custom fitting their offense play calling and decisions around Gabriel. They’re not suddenly gonna change plans in 1 week and install a whole new offense, approach, scheme to fit Sanders. They’re gonna expect Sanders to run an offense meant for Gabriel cause they’re the Browns
“In fairness to Sanders”… if he’s going to be an NFL QB, he first has to be a competent backup. Backups usually don’t get many or any reps with the first team, so why use that as an excuse for Sanders? If he’s ready he’s ready, and he wasn’t ready by a long shot (not that Gabriel is setting all that high if a bar to reach either).
I’m going to have to disagree there. Playing QB is partially about developing chemistry with your WRs, and if you’re not throwing the football to those first team guys in practice, you’re not going to have a repoire with them on game day.
This was obviously an injury situation, so I’m not going to crush Cleveland here, but the best way to assess a QB is to name them the starter at the beginning of the week, and let them take those first team reps.
That would be the best way, yes. The worst way would be to put an apparently not yet ready rookie one injury away from playing. And that’s why he shouldn’t have been the backup if he wasn’t good enough to be the starter. But there seems to be this “what harm can it do” attitude towards throwing both of these guys in this season before they should play.
The Browns seem to have this habit of snatching losses from the jaws of victory. As a Steelers fan I was naturally rooting for the Browns and was hoping the kid provided a spark out there. But yes, he looked out of his element on a number of his passes and had this tunnel vision instead of looking to second and third options.
I’ll be interested to see if he gets more snaps moving forward and what the consensus of Browns fans is
Didja see how Baltimore beat the Browns? Ravens line up for a Brotherly Shove, Mark Andrews takes the snap and goes untouched around right end 35 yards for the winning TD. That is entirely on the Browns’ defense.
Agree 100%
@Monkey’s Uncle: I was with you until you said, “that’s why he shouldn’t have been the backup if he wasn’t good enough to be the starter.” That’s ridiculous this day and age in the NfL. There are about a dozen teams that don’t have a true “starter” at least one that will be there starting for more than a year, let alone a backup good enough to start.
In fairness to all GM’s that passed on the internet darling.. golf clap
Backups also aren’t expected to run an offense only made for the starter. When you custom make your offense play calling decisions around Gabriel it makes it hard for Sanders or any QB to immediately come in mid game and run said offense.
That’s on the Browns. Competent teams have an offense and expect both the starter and backup to run it. Not 1 offense for the starter the backup can’t run. But it’s the Cleveland browns
You keep referencing this offense tailor made only for Gabriel, what exactly do you mean by that? All good OC’s call their system based on the talents of their starting QB, if they’re good. I get the impression you’re implying this system is literally only designed for Gabriel and no one else can have success in it.
MASSIVE news for your unemployed friend
‘Second generation talent’ 😆 😝 😂