Dillon Gabriel is officially on the Cleveland Browns’ 53-man roster for the regular season. ESPN reported Sunday that Gabriel’s absolute stellar performance in the preseason finale sealed the deal, earning the second-year quarterback a spot that many believed he was fighting for.
Gabriel put on a clinic against the New England Patriots in that final preseason game on Thursday. He completed 12 of 15 passes for a sweet 186 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. That kind of clutch showing is exactly what you need to make a statement when roster spots are on the line. No wonder they kept him around!
He’s joining Deshaun Watson, who’s already named the starter, and Shedeur Sanders, who’s expected to be the primary backup after battling for the starting gig. Rookie Taylen Green’s roster status is still up in the air, but Gabriel’s in. This is huge for the Browns who have seriously struggled with quarterback stability. They started three different QBs last season, and have cycled through seven different starting quarterbacks since the beginning of the 2024 campaign. Gabriel himself was one of those three starters in 2025, but his run wasn’t exactly a highlight reel, going 1-5 with 59.5% completion for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions across 10 appearances. He got a concussion in Week 11, which led to Sanders taking over and going 3-4 for the rest of the year.
With Watson coming back from an Achilles injury and Sanders performing relatively well last season, Gabriel’s spot looked iffy. But that preseason finale? It bought him time. Given Cleveland’s recent history of QB woes, who knows, Gabriel might just get a chance to start again at some point this season. He’s proven he can step up when the pressure is on, and that’s something to definitely keep an eye on as the regular season kicks off.
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Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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