Total Pro Sports
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room is overflowing, and someone’s future is hanging in the balance. As minicamp unfolds and training camp looms, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the team won’t carry both rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders into the regular season.
Sanders, who’s fighting to climb a steep depth chart, has made a quiet but determined push during practice. While he took most of his reps with the second team on Tuesday, according to ESPN, Gabriel shared the field with the starters. That contrast in opportunities has only fueled speculation that the Browns will need to make a decision sooner rather than later.
With Deshaun Watson still recovering from a torn Achilles, the Browns are testing all available options. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett currently lead the pecking order, while the two rookies battle to avoid the cut. Gabriel and Sanders, both part of the Browns’ 2025 draft class, bring promise but also redundancy to an already loaded QB group.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The Browns will NOT be keeping both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders past training camp.
As of now, Sanders is winning the QB battle, leaving Gabriel as the odd man out.
The Colts need a QB. Could one of them be headed there?https://t.co/ToUKo62lXi
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 11, 2025
Right now, Sanders may be gaining ground. The 23-year-old’s mindset has turned heads. “When it’s my time to get out there, let’s be proactive and let’s get warm, let’s get going,” Sanders told reporters after practice. His composure and maturity have stood out, though production in live reps will ultimately decide his fate.
Gabriel, meanwhile, might be drawing attention from outside Cleveland. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert recently floated an intriguing scenario, suggesting the Miami Dolphins could make a move for Gabriel if he becomes available. “They liked him a ton… but then the Browns drafted him,” Benkert posted on X, hinting at Miami’s prior interest and a possible fit in Mike McDaniel’s offense.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see the #Dolphins trade for #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel at the end of preseason
They liked him a ton and saw him as an incredible scheme fit with athletic upside and were going to take him a few picks later, but then the Browns drafted him (per source)… pic.twitter.com/mSejjcgSBY
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) June 9, 2025
The Dolphins already have four quarterbacks under contract, including starter Tua Tagovailoa and rookie Quinn Ewers, but Gabriel’s athleticism and left-handed delivery mirror Tua’s style, an angle that may keep Miami interested if the Browns decide to part ways.
Cleveland opens the season on September 7 against Cincinnati. Before then, someone will have to go. Whether it’s Gabriel heading south or Sanders getting another shot elsewhere, the Browns can’t afford to keep everyone. This quarterback battle isn’t just about winning a job in Cleveland. For at least one of them, it could be about finding...
