The Cleveland Browns have had one of the most confusing quarterback situations in the 2025 season. After nearly taking four quarterbacks into the regular season, the team traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders before Week 1 began.
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Cleveland chose to make veteran Joe Flacco the starter and kept Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on the roster as the backup and third-string quarterback, respectively. Gabriel was given the backup duties, and it was theorized that he would eventually become the starter for the team
That news came ahead of Week 5, as Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski would make Gabriel the starter for the game against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Gabriel has now made his first regular season start, and here is a look at how he did in his promoted role as the team’s starting quarterback.
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What Were Dillon Gabriel’s Stats in his First Browns Start?
Gabriel had a respectable first start, as he put together a stat line of 19-for-33 passing attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished the day with a 94.3 passer rating. He also picked up five rushing yards on two attempts.
Gabriel also took two sacks for a loss of eight yards.
How did Dillon Gabriel Look in First NFL Start?
The Browns’ rookie appeared to look in control of the offense through the game, though he did suffer two sacks on plays where he should have thrown the ball away. Still, Gabriel looked to play like a veteran, moving the ball downfield plenty.
Cleveland did have a big game from running back Quinshon Judkins, but Gabriel dished the ball out to David Njoku for 67 yards and one touchdown, along with seven other receivers.
Will Dillon Gabriel be the Browns’ Starter Moving Forward?
Gabriel looked good in his first start with the Browns, and it appears that he may have won the starting job. However, there are still rumors that the team may also want to see what fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders can do.
The Browns are now 1-4 on the season, and the team may want to experiment a little if they continue to drop games. For now, Gabriel will be the starter moving forward.
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