Browns' Dillon Gabriel roster situation takes surprising turn

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned that the Cleveland Browns would be keeping second-year pro Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green as part of a quarterback room occupied by starter Deshaun Watson and backup Shedeur Sanders.

It's now known that Gabriel won't be playing for the Browns anytime soon. 

How many games will Dillon Gabriel miss during upcoming season?

As shared by Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, the Browns placed Gabriel on injured reserve with a back injury and designated him to return. Gabriel had pain Saturday and underwent an MRI after he completed 12-of-15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland's preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Aug. 27.

Sunday's development means Gabriel will miss at least the first four games of the upcoming campaign. The Browns will play at the New York Jets in Week 5 on Oct. 11. 

Browns reporter Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand referred to Gabriel's setback as an "'injury' of convenience" for general manager Andrew Berry. 

"The creative use of IR to keep Gabriel under team control was Berry’s master stroke in reducing the Browns’ roster to 53," Grossi wrote. 

Why Dillon Gabriel remaining with Browns matters

"While several backup quarterbacks changed teams at the league cut to 53," Grossi added, "Berry either didn’t like the return for Gabriel in trade talks or simply did not want to part with the 2025 third-round draft pick. So Gabriel was placed on injured reserve and designated to return in a minimum of four weeks, at which time the landscape of the Browns’ precarious quarterback situation could change dramatically. Or not."

Some think Watson could lose the starting job to Sanders as soon as Cleveland's home opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 27 in Week 3 of the season. The Browns almost certainly will part ways with Watson after the campaign, so one would think he could be buried on the depth chart if he were to be benched in favor of Sanders at any point. 

Thus, Gabriel could find himself being one play away from becoming the Browns' latest QB1 as early as Week 5 of the season.