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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has made his decision on who will back up Joe Flacco at quarterback this season, and it’s not Shedeur Sanders.
Instead, the rookie drafted two rounds earlier, Dillon Gabriel, has been named the backup to the 41-year-old Flacco heading into Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In turn, Stefanski said that Sanders, who was taken in the fifth round by the Browns back in April, will serve as the emergency third quarterback to start the year.
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Dillon Gabriel #5 and Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns run a drill during Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 10, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Stefanski spoke about the decision to go with Gabriel over Sanders to start the year.
“It’s such an all-encompassing evaluation,” he told reporters. “Everything the guys did in the games was important, but we also saw a lot of them out here in practice. How they are at their craft, and [Gabriel] is certainly someone we think is getting better and better.”
BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN
The decision was between Gabriel and Sanders after Cleveland made decisive quarterback moves before finalizing their 53-man roster on Tuesday ahead of the league’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
First, veteran Tyler “Snoop” Huntley was waived, and the Browns followed that up by trading Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders were desperate for a backup after Aidan O’Connell, who was set to play behind Geno Smith to start the season, suffered a fractured wrist during the team’s preseason finale.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) enters the field before the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
With Huntley and Pickett gone, the Browns were left with Flacco, Gabriel and Sanders. Deshaun Watson is still recovering from a torn Achilles and was never expected to be an option to start in 2025.
Sanders initially strengthened his case for a higher spot on the quarterback depth chart with an impressive preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, along with four carries for 19 yards.
Injury kept him out of the team’s second game, but he returned in the second half of the finale against the Rams, where he struggled — finishing just 3 of 6 for 14 yards while taking five sacks.
Gabriel, after missing the preseason opener with a hamstring injury, played in the final two preseason matchups. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Against the Rams, he went 12 of 19 for 129 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the preseason.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel speaks during a news conference after an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Depth charts often change during a season, and though Sanders is QB3 at the moment, he has made the 53-man roster and can develop into a potential impact player in the future.
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