The Cleveland Browns will stick with Dillon Gabriel as their starter this week against the Baltimore Ravens, but skepticism is mounting about his long-term viability as an NFL quarterback after a 1-4 opening stretch to his career.
Gabriel took over for Joe Flacco in Week 5. He’s done little to show that he can produce at the NFL level. Gabriel has rarely looked downfield, and when he has, his passes have lacked the needed accuracy and zip to be effective. His 5.0 yards per attempt is the lowest in the NFL. In all, Gabriel has passed for 869 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in five starts.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes that Gabriel is “overmatched” in the NFL and has little faith he can even be a viable developmental option for the Browns.
“He’s not a developmental quarterback. He’s a quarterback who has hit a wall. You have a picture painted of who Dillon Gabriel is. He has done nothing but go backwards since that first game,” Jackson said on Thursday on The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “He’s overmatched — the numbers say that, the eye test says it. The reality is, he always was when they rushed him out there. They haven’t done him any favors. They aren’t doing him any favors with this wide receiver corps. But it’s very clear — he is not going to be an NFL quarterback. And that has been the case since the spring.”
The Browns spent a third-round pick on Gabriel with hopes he could finally solve their long-standing quarterback problem. But drafting Shedeur Sanders two rounds later did him no favors, adding another layer of pressure for the rookie.
With Gabriel struggling, calls have grown for Sanders to get his shot under center. But head coach Kevin Stefanski has avoided the topic, declining to answer questions about when Sanders could see the field.
“I don’t think it’s fair to speculate. We’re committed to getting better as an offense,” Stefanski said. “Dillon is certainly committing to improving every which way he can. And all the while, all of our players, young players, are developing and working so hard behind the scenes to make sure that they’re getting better on a daily basis.”
There are problems with the Browns’ offense beyond Gabriel. But the rookie will only have so many more shots with the team racking up losses.
As Jackson noted, Gabriel hasn’t shown meaningful growth through five starts. Still, the Browns’ rookie quarterback insisted he’s focused on steady development rather than overnight results.
“I don’t think growth is ever linear, and there’s regression and there’s progression,” Gabriel said on Thursday. “So there’s things that get better and things we’ve got to continue to work on, but I want to continue to get better. And that’s what you strive for every single day.”
Gabriel’s next test will come against the Ravens on Sunday, who are playing solid football after a rough start to the year. Baltimore pounded the Browns 41-17 in Week 2.
“They’re talented at all levels, play really good as a unit, communicate really effectively,” Gabriel said. “We have our hands full.”
Cleveland is a 12.5-point underdog for the matchup, per ESPN BET.
The Denver Broncos received tough news Friday afternoon.
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that running back J.K. Dobbins will amiss Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a significant foot injury.
Rapoport added that Dobbins is “believed to be out for the foreseeable future.”
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.
“Dobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,” Rapoport said.
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.
Dobbins’ injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.
Dobbins ranks fifth in the NFL with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver’s offense so far this season.
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs, Commanders, Raiders, and Packers.
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.
“Nothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,” Payton said earlier this week.
Denver’s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.
“With JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,” Rapoport said.
RJ Harvey has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.
Payton praised Harvey’s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:
“When we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,” Payton said.
“You are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.”
Tyler Badie will likely mix in as a third down guy, while Jaleel McLaughlin could be active as well.
Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.