Dillon Gabriel made the most of his extended opportunity Thursday night, torching the New England Patriots’ defense for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 7-of-8 passing in the first quarter alone of Cleveland’s preseason finale. With Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders both held out of the game, the spotlight belonged entirely to Gabriel, and he delivered his best performance of the summer just as the Browns prepare to trim their roster to 53 players.
Gabriel, Cleveland’s third-round pick out of Oregon in the 2025 NFL Draft, spent his rookie season starting six games and appearing in ten, completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. The production came with warts — his 5.1 yards per attempt ranked among the league’s lowest — but the touchdown-to-interception ratio and flashes of poise under center kept the Browns invested in his development heading into year two.
A Depth Chart Gabriel Didn’t Get to Fight For
Unlike a year ago, when Gabriel was pulled into meaningful regular-season snaps out of necessity, this offseason’s starting competition never really included him. Cleveland made it a two-man race between Watson and Sanders throughout training camp, with head coach Todd Monken confirming Watson would open the season as the starter and Sanders as his backup. That left Gabriel and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green fighting for the club’s third and fourth quarterback spots — and, more urgently, for their roster spots altogether.
Monken was candid about why Gabriel and Green got the bulk of Thursday’s reps against New England. “We’re not playing them because we’d like to see Dillon more,” Monken said. “It worked out last game, that was unfair to him. So, in order to do that, to see more of him and see Taylen, there’s just not enough reps.” With Watson and Sanders sitting, and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel similarly keeping his starters on the sideline, the preseason finale effectively became an audition built entirely around Cleveland’s back-of-the-roster quarterbacks.
What a Strong Finale Means Heading Into Cuts
Gabriel entered Thursday having seen only limited preseason action, making his hot start all the more notable with final roster decisions looming. A performance like the one he turned in against New England — no turnovers, two scoring drives, sharp accuracy in the intermediate game — gives Cleveland’s front office tangible evidence that the 2025 third-rounder is still developing rather than stagnating, even if he’s ticketed for QB3 or QB4 duty behind Watson and Sanders. It also raises the stakes for Green, who impressed in his own limited snaps against Buffalo and now has to follow Gabriel’s big first quarter with a strong finish of his own to make his case.
The broader roster math is real: Cleveland can realistically keep only three or four quarterbacks, and unless the front office moves on for a trade or waiver claim, Thursday’s showing will factor heavily into whether Gabriel and Green both survive final cuts. Bettors tracking Cleveland’s win total and division odds can find the latest lines and matchup breakdowns on live NFL odds as the Browns finalize their roster before Week 1.
For Gabriel personally, the night was a chance to remind the organization why they used a third-round pick on him just over a year ago. Two touchdown passes and zero mistakes against a Patriots defense that also wasn’t showing its full hand won’t erase a rocky rookie campaign, but it’s the kind of performance that keeps a young quarterback’s roster spot secure — and keeps the door open for a bigger role if injuries or ineffectiveness strike above him on the depth chart. Cleveland’s coaching staff now heads into final cuts with a clearer picture of what they have in both of their developmental arms.
