The Browns' quarterback competition was supposed to be over. Cleveland tabbed Deshaun Watson as its Week 1 starter on Monday, August 24, with Shedeur Sanders locked in as the backup after a battle that stretched from OTAs through training camp and two preseason games. Case closed, roster set, on to Jacksonville.
Except nobody told Dillon Gabriel. With Sanders held out of the preseason finale against the Patriots and Watson already resting, Gabriel got the start and turned it into a personal highlight reel, throwing 3 touchdown passes in the first half alone, according to Adam Schefter.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel now has thrown three touchdowns in the first half vs. the Patriots.
Zoom out to the full preseason and the numbers get even louder. FantasyPros' tally has Gabriel with 2 touchdowns before that Patriots half even started, compared to just 1 for Sanders and a flat 0 for Watson across the whole exhibition slate — a stat line that's hard to square with Watson being handed the job outright.
Browns QBs in the preseason: Dillon Gabriel: 2 TDs Shedeur Sanders: 1 TD Deshaun Watson: 0 TDs
None of it changes the depth chart. Watson is QB1 for Week 1 against the Jaguars, and Sanders is the backup, with head coach Todd Monken pointing to the full body of work — offseason, camp, joint practices with the Bills, and two preseason games — as the reason Watson gives Cleveland the best shot to move the ball on the road. Gabriel's big night came against backups in a meaningless finale, and preseason box scores have fooled fans before.
Still, the optics are rough for a Browns fan base that's watched Watson's stint in Cleveland go sideways since the blockbuster trade. Sanders, the second-round pick who became a lightning rod all offseason, didn't even suit up for the finale, leaving the QB3 to steal the buzz.
Cleveland has their QB1?! 😭
SleeperNFL's reaction captures the mood — a mix of joking and genuine second-guessing about whether Cleveland's actual best arm is sitting third on the depth chart. It's just preseason noise for now, but if Watson stumbles early in the regular season, don't be surprised if the Gabriel chatter gets a lot less ironic.