The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback plan shifted on the fly after an injury and a win. Dillon Gabriel’s concussion in Week 11 opened the door for rookie Shedeur Sanders, who made his first NFL start in Week 12 and led the Browns to their first victory in over a month.
The 3-10 Browns recently made the decision that Sanders will be their starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Take a look at why that happened.
Is Dillon Gabriel Injured?
Gabriel entered concussion protocol during Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, ceding the second half to Sanders in a 23-16 loss. He cleared protocol ahead of Week 12, but the Browns started Sanders, who went 11-of-20 for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 24-10 win over the Raiders, the franchise’s first debut-start victory by a quarterback since 1995.
Gabriel is now fully healthy, but the team decided to stick with Sanders after the former Colorado star showed glimpses of being a potential franchise quarterback.
The broader timeline reflects evaluation more than health. Gabriel started six games earlier this season, going 1-5 while completing 59.2 percent of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. With the Browns effectively out of playoff contention, the staff has prioritized a fuller look at Sanders while keeping Gabriel active and ready.
Why Is Shedeur Sanders Starting Over Dillon Gabriel for the Browns?
Sanders earned his second straight start based on performance and the club’s developmental goals. In Week 12, he hit explosives downfield and off-script, the coaching staff cited “his playmaking skills, his aggressive downfield throws, his ability to buy time and push the ball down the field.”
Stefanski noted the weather won’t faze him in his first home start: “He played at Colorado. That’s a lot of wind that you’re going to get. You’re going to get all sorts of weather. So he’s good to go.” The Browns want to determine whether Sanders can be part of their long-term plan or if they need to address quarterback again in the 2026 draft.
MORE: 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Since replacing Gabriel, Sanders has thrown for 769 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. The latter has completed just 52.4% of his throws in four appearences, but the Browns as well as the fans are fascinated by Sanders’ capability of making explosive plays like he did in college.
With the Browns 3-10 and Sanders now QB1, Gabriel’s timeline has shifted from medical clearance to merit, available as QB2 while Cleveland measures whether Sanders’ game scales week to week.
Cleveland Browns’ Stats and Insights for Week 15
Team: This is the third time in the last four years the Browns have lost at least ten games under Kevin Stefanski. Nine of the team’s 24 losses in the previous two seasons have been by at least 13 points.
QB:Â Shedeur Sanders had the 14th-best QBi (75.9, C) in Week 14 against the Titans. In two of his three starts, his QBi has ranked in the Top 15.
Offense:Â Cleveland ranks 29th in points scored and 30th in total yards on offense.
Defense: Myles Garrett has 20 sacks and is two and a half sacks behind the single-season record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. Garrett’s previous career high was 16 in 2021 and 2022.
Fantasy: Shedeur Sanders threw for 364 yards and three scores (not to mention one rush TD) against the Tennessee Titans after totaling 358 yards and two scores in his first two career starts. Nice to see, and he proved himself closer to fantasy relevance than fellow rookie Cam Ward, but he’s still not close to critical in standard-sized leagues.
