Browns Activate QB Dillon Gabriel From IR

A Gabriel back injury led the Browns to place him on IR at the August 30 roster-setting deadline. Because Gabriel’s activation already counted toward Cleveland’s regular-season total of eight, the team will not lose one of its IR-return moves via today’s transaction. The Browns have five IR activations remaining during the regular season.

This activation does not register on the same level it would have at this point last year. Deshaun Watson has, against all odds, solidified the Browns’ starting job this season. Shedeur Sanders has been an afterthought since losing the quarterback competition this summer, and Gabriel will be expected to return to third-string status now that he’s back on the roster.

Gabriel’s IR-return designation in August gave the Browns a path to keeping their four quarterbacks without carrying the quartet on its 53-man roster. Sixth-round rookie Taylen Green joins the more experienced players on the team, and the Browns are planning to keep all four QBs for the time being.

A recent rumor about Sanders’ agent hire being aimed at maneuvering for a trade did not seem to pick up much steam, as the Browns are not expected to move the demoted passer. That said, Watson’s status points to teams wondering about the availability of Gabriel and Sanders before the November 10 deadline.

The Browns drafted Gabriel two rounds before Sanders last year, but the undersized QB fell behind the scrutinized Colorado product last season and was not viewed as being in the middle of the team’s competition this summer. Gabriel finds himself in limbo presently, but he has been practicing for the past three weeks (the Browns had one more day to activate him; otherwise, he would have reverted to season-ending IR). The team will continue to gauge his development, even as Watson has a firm grip on the team’s starting job given his capable play helping the Browns to a 5-2 record.