Mind-Boggling Browns Stat Emerges After Dillon Gabriel Announcement
The Cleveland Browns have been more competitive than expected to begin the 2025 campaign, but that hasn’t stopped them from posting a 1-3 record over their first three games. After losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 4, the team announced that third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel would draw the start at quarterback instead of Joe Flacco in Week 5.
Gabriel will become just the latest player to start under center for the Browns in what has seemingly been an endless revolving door at the position. In fact, in the wake of this move, Cleveland has now put itself in an unfortunate league of its own thanks to a mind-boggling statistic that has emerged.
Browns’ Quarterback Futility Reaches New Heights After Dillon Gabriel Move
Over the past 30 years, the Browns have not only been one of the worst teams in the NFL, but also one of the worst teams in all of professional sports. They have made it to the playoffs just three times during that span, winning only one game in those trips. Simply put, Cleveland’s struggles have been one of the few guarantees in the world of sports in recent years.
Much of their ineptitude comes as a result of their inability to find a consistent answer at quarterback. The Browns have struck out time and again in their search for a franchise quarterback, and every time it happens, the more frustrated fans get. Their latest failed move saw them swing a massive trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, only for him to struggle mightily on the field and suffer a slew of injuries.
That has left Cleveland with its current quarterback depth chart of Flacco, Gabriel, and fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders. Flacco has held his own, but he’s not the future of the franchise, which has led the team to turn to Gabriel. With this move, Gabriel will become the 41st different starting quarterback for the Browns since 1999, which is easily the highest figure in the league during that stretch.
Dillon Gabriel will become the 41st starting QB for the Browns since 1999 — the most by any NFL team in that span,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared in a post on X.
Browns Hoping Dillon Gabriel is the Answer at Quarterback
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is expected to start against the Vikings.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns took a pair of fliers on Gabriel and Sanders, as they didn’t have a true answer at quarterback entering the season. The expectation was that they’d give both of these guys, particularly Gabriel, an opportunity to take the field this season, with the hope that one of them can make the starting job their own.
Gabriel will be given the first shot to do that, but he will face a tall task in Week 5 against a stingy Minnesota Vikings defense. It’s certainly not going to be easy for Gabriel, but he’s going to do his best to ensure that Sanders doesn’t find his way onto the field and increase that aforementioned number from 41 to 42. The Browns will head to London, England, for their contest against the Vikings, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET.
Joe Flacco wins Browns’ 4-way QB competition
Joe Flacco is the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Browns after winning a very crowded competition at the position.
The Cleveland Browns have one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in football, but now they have announced a starter. Veteran Joe Flacco will get the nod in Week 1 for Kevin Stefanski's group, the team announced in a post on social media on Monday.
The 40-year old has not seen any action during the preseason as the Browns get a closer look at Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, both of whom were selected by Cleveland in the NFL Draft. Kenny Pickett, who was traded to Cleveland this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, also has not played in either preseason game due to a hamstring injury.
Still, it will be Flacco to get the season started for the Browns as they look to return to playoff contention in a very competitive AFC North division.
This is a reunion for Flacco and the Browns after he spent last season in a quarterback carousel with Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. He started five games for the Browns in 2023, leading Cleveland to the playoffs despite an injury-riddled season and winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in the process.
Stefanski and the Browns are certainly hoping that Flacco can bring some of that same magic during this 2025 season despite what will be a heated competition behind him. Pickett will want to take some snaps in order to prove that he can still be a starter in the league, while Gabriel and Sanders will be looking to show their skills after being selected in the third and fifth round, respectively.
The Browns also have Deshaun Watson presumably returning from his torn Achilles at some point this season, even though he will start the season on the PUP list. It's obviously unlikely that the Browns are going to keep all of these quarterbacks on the roster for the entire season, so there could be a trade involving one of them coming up soon.
The one on the way out won't be Flacco, who will look to rediscover his best form even as he enters his 40s in Cleveland as the main guy heading into the regular season.
What Led the Cleveland Browns To Make This Decision?
The quarterback situation for the Browns has been one of the most covered stories this training camp. Flacco will lead a QB room that includes veteran Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel, and rookie Shedeur Sanders. The battle between Gabriel and Sanders in training has been covered heavily. In a few days from now, we will know what the rest of the QB depth chart looks like. That is inarguably the most interesting story surrounding the team heading into Week 1.
Cleveland’s offense may be the weakest unit in the league. The Browns will rely on the veteran’s wealth of experience to help steady the ship before the team presumably hands the keys over to one of the three younger quarterbacks. Cleveland’s marquee offensive weapons are Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku.
