Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Dillon Gabriel set to make NFL history with his first career start

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Steve Kubitza | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 9:32 AM ET

The Cleveland Browns decided to make it official on Wednesday. Dillon Gabriel is the new starting quarterback, Joe Flacco is the backup, and Shedeur Sanders is having bizarre interactions with the media in the third-string role.

Gabriel was a third-round pick and was not expected to be on the field this early, if at all, in 2025. The problem has been Flacco looking pitiful, with a lack of mobility so bad it was putting him in harm's way. Being down his two starting offensive tackles didn't help, but anyone watching the games could plainly see a change was in order.

Thus, Gabriel gets the nod right before the Browns fly to London to prepare for Sunday's early game against the Minnesota Vikings. That is a unique situation, and as a result the rookie will be making NFL history once he takes his first snap across the pond.

Dillon Gabriel will be the first QB in @NFL history to make his first career start in an International Series game
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 1, 2025

As noted by Andrew Siciliano, Gabriel will be the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first start in an International Series game. History is exciting, but teams have avoided this scenario in the past for obvious reasons.

Making an NFL debut on the road is hard enough. Making it in another country is a whole other situation. The good news is that Gabriel is 24, which is on the older end for rookie quarterbacks. He played in big games in college at Oklahoma and Oregon, and has already gotten some limited action so far this season. So Sunday will not be his first time on the field this year.

The bad news is that he is going up against a Brian Flores defense that will surely be out to confuse the rookie all game long. This defense just held the Pittsburgh Steelers to 313 total yards, albeit in a 24-21 loss in Week 4.

The Browns are masters at accomplishing rare NFL feats, and fans will now be able to add Gabriel's name to the infamous quarterback jersey dating back to 1999. The hope is that he is the only name added to the list this year.

An even bigger concern may be the fact the Browns don't have a bye week following this international trip. They will return home and have to immediately prepare for a road game against a tough Pittsburgh Steelers team. So no matter how Gabriel plays, he has to get right back to work for a rivalry game before getting his first home start.

Oh, and the Vikings have already been abroad for a week after their game against the Steelers in Dublin last Sunday. The Browns never get anything easy, but fans are hoping Gabriel will serve as a much-needed spark to an offense that has looked lifeless for much of the season up to this point.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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