The Cleveland Browns made it very clear that their focus is going towards the future that runs through Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Joe Flacco's departure to Cincinnati has fast-tracked that thing.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and coach Kevin Stefanski are steering the offense toward a full evaluation of their young signal-callers. Haslam revealed the organization's intentions during training camp, which was shared by Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot on X.
"Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said during his training camp presser that the team "absolutely, absolutely" wants to see rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders play this season," Cabot tweeted on Wednesday.
Flacco was traded to the Bengals along with a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder. The deal, finalized on Tuesday, marked the end of second brief stint in Cleveland. Although the veteran did not initiate the move, he accepted it once the front office made its plans for the rookie quarterbacks clear.
Shedeur Sanders waits in line
The Browns gave the reins to Dillon Gabriel for las weekend's match in London, giving the third-round pick from Oregon his first NFL start. He registered 190 passing yards and two touchdowns in the close 21-17 loss against Minnesota.
The efficiency of Gabriel allowed Cleveland to improve its offensive rhythm. He was 19 of 33, did not throw any interceptions and kept drives alive just long. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett appreciated the rookie after the match for keeping his composure and not forcing a throw under duress.
However, Kevin Stefanski was not prepared to make any long-term declarations.
"Probably premature to grade," Stefanski told reporters. "There were some good things, some rookie things to certainly clean up."
Behind Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders moved into the QB2 role on the depth chart. The former Colorado standout has not played this regular season, but his promotion after Flacco's trade gives him the clearest path yet to game action.
Bailey Zappe is the third option, while Deshaun Watson continues his recovery process from Achilles surgery and is not close to making a return.