Browns QB takeaways: Shedeur Sanders swallowed up, Dillon Gabriel makes the case to be Joe Flacco’s backup

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The talk of this year’s NFL rookie class retook the field on Saturday, as Shedeur Sanders made his second and final preseason appearance of the 2025 campaign. The fifth-round draft pick, who started the Cleveland Browns‘ exhibition opener, was the team’s No. 3 quarterback this time around, taking second-half snaps in relief of veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel against the Los Angeles Rams.

Sanders was composed in his first preseason action earlier this month, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. He was particularly promising on the move, keeping his eyes downfield under pressure and showcasing passing precision in the red zone. And all that came despite the big-name Colorado product entering the preseason listed fourth among quarterbacks on the Browns’ unofficial depth chart.

How, exactly, did Sanders fare in his second preseason go-round, this time against the Rams? Here are our major takeaways regarding all the Browns’ quarterbacks just three days before the NFL’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be finalized:

Shedeur Sanders gets swallowed up

If Shedeur’s first preseason game was a display of pocket poise, this one was just about the opposite. While the rookie never dropped his head in resignation, Sanders was easily the least effective of Cleveland’s four quarterbacks Saturday, and it primarily had to do with his failure to elude or outpace a steady pass rush.

Make no mistake: The Browns’ offensive line didn’t do him a ton of favors. But Sanders also prolonged plays by holding onto the ball in and around the pocket, as he often did at Colorado. By the end of Saturday, he’d absorbed five sacks, losing a combined 41 yards — and almost one fumble — as a result of those hits. Throwing the ball wasn’t much better, as Sanders managed to complete just three of six passes for 14 yards in almost a full half of action.

The biggest indictment of his performance may have been his absence from the lineup in the final two minutes of Saturday’s game, when coach Kevin Stefanski elected to have journeyman Tyler Huntley lead a comeback attempt, despite the younger Sanders almost certainly having better odds to make the roster. Huntley immediately looked more comfortable at the controls, setting up a last-second Browns win while leaning upon the same backups with whom Sanders played.

Does this all mean Sanders is done? Well, it depends on how you define “done.” The hype train that took off after his first exhibition game is certainly at a standstill. So too, it seems, are his chances of usurping Flacco early in the year. But the Browns seem intent on playing this entire room with patience, which means he’s still a safe bet to stick around as a developmental reserve, perhaps as a true third- or fourth-stringer, provided team brass is telling the truth about carrying four passers into the regular season.

Dillon Gabriel makes a case to be top backup

If Sanders took a step back Saturday, his 2025 draftmate at quarterback took a visible step forward. Gabriel, the Browns’ third-round pick this spring, was uneven in his preseason debut, notably throwing a pick six against the Philadelphia Eagles. This time, he was much more controlled, finishing 12 of 19 for 129 yards and one touchdown. The numbers don’t even do him full justice, as he also did something Sanders didn’t even have a chance to do against the Rams: orchestrate a strong situational drive.

Gabriel’s best work came on an 11-play, 86-yard touchdown drive just before halftime, in which he picked apart Los Angeles’ backups with decisiveness and accuracy. He was basically the stylistic opposite of Sanders: Whereas the latter crept out of the pocket in search of a meaningful play, Gabriel played entirely within the structure, showcasing his trademark touch and vision. In other words, he did his job efficiently.

His performance should all but lock him into the Browns’ 53-man roster, but in reality, his place wasn’t really in jeopardy. The real case he made Saturday was to be Flacco’s top backup. If veteran Kenny Pickett sticks around, it may be hard for Stefanski to choose Gabriel over a more experienced insurance policy as the No. 2, but Gabriel also embodies the kind of quarterback Stefanski seems to covet: someone with the instincts and decision-making to simply carry out the offensive plans with reliability.

Predicting what’s next for Browns’ QBs

So where, exactly, do we stand in Cleveland now? Here’s how we see it all shaking out:

• Joe Flacco opens the 2025 season as the starting quarterback, as has already been announced. Flacco, 40, overcame a three-and-out to open his 2025 preseason debut with some crisp throws against the Rams, putting the Browns on the board first. He looks the part as “the guy,” for now. And we’d expect Stefanski to give him a decent leash as he tries to stay competitive in the AFC North.
• Kenny Pickett opens the season as the backup quarterback due almost exclusively to his starting NFL experience. His preseason unavailability rendered him a non-factor in recent conversations about the Browns’ crowded room, but he had some flashes in training camp, and Sanders’ blatant struggles in Saturday’s preseason finale may have underscored the club’s need for proven insurance.
• Dillon Gabriel opens the season as the No. 3 quarterback, cementing himself as the top rookie reserve with a progressively promising preseason. He may not possess the arm or experience of Flacco, the mobility of Pickett or the moxie of Sanders, but the Oregon product has shown he’s got the mental makeup of a potential plug-and-play Stefanski fill-in, prioritizing steadiness over splashiness.
• Shedeur Sanders opens the season as the No. 4 quarterback, spending early game days inactive while refining his craft behind the veterans. His preseason debut showed he’s got enough in the tank to be something at the NFL level. His preseason follow-up was a reality check: He’s still got a ways to go before he can be asked to carry an NFL offense when the circumstances are dire.
• Tyler Huntley is released as part of final roster cuts but remains on the Browns’ radar either as practice-squad depth or as an in-season emergency option. His best showing came in the close of Cleveland’s preseason finale, but we’d bet the Browns will value the long-term upside of their rookie draft picks, knowing they can probably circle back to Huntley down the road if needed.

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