The Cleveland Browns have turned to backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the third quarter on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. Sanders is in there because starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel was forced out of the game.
Because of Gabriel being out of the game, it means that the former Colorado star will be running the Browns’ offense for the rest of Sunday’s game.
What’s Wrong With Browns QB Dillon Gabriel?
Gabriel was ruled out for the rest of Sunday’s game after suffering a concussion. The Browns offered an update on Gabriel’s status during the Ravens-Browns game.
While Sanders will run the Browns’ offense for the rest of Sunday’s game, it also means that he might start next week as well
Injury Update | Dillon Gabriel has been ruled out https://t.co/cMSVnZAHfN
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 16, 2025
It all depends on how serious Gabriel’s concussion ends up being. The Browns’ medical personnel will conduct a more thorough examination of Gabriel after the game, and the team is likely to provide an update on his status on Sunday night or Monday. According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics, Gabriel has a 51.6 NFL QB Impact Score and grades out to an F.
Sanders’ journey into the NFL has been well documented. He was projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but fell all the way down to the fifth round. The Browns selected Sanders, and at one point, he was part of a very crowded Browns QB room.
MORE: PFSN’s 2025 NFL Midseason Awards: Predicting the MVP, DPOY, OPOY, Coach of the Year, and More
But Cleveland traded starter Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. After some additional moves, Gabriel, who was a third-round pick out of Oregon in the 2025 NFL Draft, took over the QB1 role. Sanders eventually moved into the backup role and was on the sidelines when Gabriel had to leave the game.
Sanders had not been in any NFL regular-season game at all until Sunday. With the Browns hanging tough against Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Sanders is doing his best to lead his team to victory in front of the home crowd. He’s thrown one interception while running the Cleveland offense in the second half.
But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski might have to lean on Sanders to do even more if Gabriel ends up not being able to play next week. NFL observers and, of course, Browns fans will be watching closely to see how Sanders plays in a clutch late-game situation.