Dillon Gabriel’s stellar performance in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason finale was enough to earn him a spot on their 53-man roster.
The Browns will be keeping the second-year quarterback entering the regular season, ESPN reported Sunday.
However, ESPN also reported that the Browns have placed Gabriel on injured reserve, designated for return, due to a back injury. Gabriel reportedly suffered a back injury during the preseason finale and underwent an MRI. The injury was notable enough to land him on injured reserve.
Gabriel joins Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders as the other quarterbacks on Cleveland’s roster.
Watson has already been named Cleveland’s starting quarterback, and Sanders is expected to be the primary backup after competing with the veteran for the starting job. However, Gabriel could have a chance at starting at some point this season if the Browns’ quarterback woes continue. Cleveland started three quarterbacks last season and has had seven different starting quarterbacks since the start of the 2024 campaign.
Gabriel was one of the three quarterbacks who started a game for the Browns in 2025. The 2025 third-round pick went 1-5 as a starter, though, as he largely struggled. He completed 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions to go with an 80.8 passer rating over the 10 games he appeared in.
Gabriel’s final start came in Week 11, when he suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens. While the injury wasn’t season-ending, Sanders started the final seven games for the Browns, going 3-4.
With Sanders performing relatively well and Watson returning from an Achilles injury, it was believed that Gabriel was fighting for a roster spot during training camp and the preseason. He got the start in the Browns’ preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Thursday, completing 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
