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Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Everyone has moved on from Dillon Gabriel, but there’s reason to believe he could still be a factor in the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition alongside Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
On a recent episode of the Orange and Brown Talk podcast, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot made the case that Gabriel remains a legitimate factor in the Browns’ quarterback competition.
“It’s possible because he’s extremely smart and has great, great processing speed,” Cabot said. “He was thrown into some difficult situations when he was starting for this football team.”
Gabriel made six starts as a rookie in 2025, going 1-5 while throwing for 937 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense around him was a mess from the start and remained that way during the team’s 5-12 campaign.
“Just like Joe Flacco before him, he didn’t have all that much to work with,” Cabot said. “There were issues at the offensive line, issues at receiver. Jerry Jeudy was not himself last year.
“When Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns look at last year’s offense, I don’t think they were overly impressed with what was going on.”
A Better Cast Could Unlock Gabriel’s Potential
The Browns have aggressively overhauled their offensive line this offseason, adding Tytus Howard via trade and signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins in free agency. That kind of infrastructure upgrade is exactly what Gabriel — or whoever wins the quarterback job — needs.
“If you give him a better supporting cast and call a different offense for him, then I think he can excel and shine,” Cabot said.
Cabot also pointed to the hunger factor. Gabriel hasn’t been the subject of much buzz this spring, with most of the attention going to Watson and Sanders.
“He’s hungry and he’s got something to prove and everybody has written him off in this competition,” Cabot said. “Dillon is a competitive guy. He’s very competitive, so I know he hasn’t ruled himself out of this year and the Browns haven’t ruled him out. He’s going to come in here and press both of these guys.”
General manager Andrew Berry noted that Gabriel is not “forgotten” in Cleveland.
“He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us,” Berry said. “Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”
Browns May Add Another Quarterback to Mix
Cabot also addressed the likelihood of Cleveland adding a fourth quarterback to the mix before camp opens. It’s something the organization has done consistently in recent years.
“There probably will be a fourth quarterback to this mix,” Cabot said. “They always have four quarterbacks here. It shouldn’t surprise us if they add another quarterback on draft weekend or in free agency. They always go to camp with four.”
The Browns hold picks No. 6 and No. 24 in the first round of the NFL Draft, and nine picks overall. Berry acknowledged at the owners meetings that adding a younger player to the quarterback room — likely through the draft — remains an option.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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