Dillon Gabriel entered the Cleveland Browns’ preseason finale as the quarterback who had largely disappeared from the conversation. He left it with people wondering whether Cleveland might have another decision to make.
Former NFL DT Defends Browns’ Dillon Gabriel
With Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders watching from the sideline on Thursday, Gabriel took advantage of his opportunity against the New England Patriots.
The 2025 third-round pick, with a 64 grade in PFN’s QB Impact metric in 2025, completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, helping the Browns cruise to a 37-13 win and putting together perhaps his most convincing performance of the preseason.
He had been a player who spent much of the offseason in the shadow of Watson and Sanders. Now, though, is another matter altogether.
Gabriel looked comfortable running Todd Monken’s offense from the opening series. He worked through his progressions, distributed the football to eight different receivers, and showed little hesitation when the Patriots brought pressure. When the pocket began to collapse, Gabriel stepped forward rather than drifting backward, giving himself enough time to deliver accurate throws.
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He did fumble once, but otherwise his performance was efficient, and former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko took notice.
Fehoko has spent the preseason defending Gabriel after receiving criticism from some of Sanders’ supporters for previously calling the young quarterback the best option in Cleveland. On Friday, he used his podcast, “The Breiden Fehoko Show,” to respond to those critics.
“Over the past few weeks, a certain fan base addressed me after every preseason game and after every practice. You’re the same guy who said Dillon Gabriel was the best quarterback. Last night, in case you’re wondering, Dillon Gabriel had a 157.9 passer rating.
“If you don’t know what the perfect passer rating is in the NFL, it’s 158.3. So Dillon Gabriel, essentially, give or take, had around a 99.7% on the test, and yet here many of you are probably still asking, ‘Did Dillon do the extra credit?’
“I’m telling Dillon Gabriel, ‘You did more than enough. You showed what I thought, and what I gauged from everybody in your locker room told me. You showed last night that you could run an operation. You showed last night that you could step up into the pocket and make throws with velocity.’
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“Dillon Gabriel showed last night why he is the QB2 for the future in Cleveland.”
Cleveland’s quarterback situation has been a bit complicated, to say the least. Watson will start the regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, even after an unremarkable outing. Sanders will be the No. 2 quarterback.
Sanders, who had a score of 63 on PFSN’s QB Impact metric in 2025, did not play on Thursday. His most recent preseason appearance came on Aug. 22 against the Buffalo Bills, when he completed 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Cleveland’s 31-7 loss.
