Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders Receive Troubling Update Amid NFL Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 11:59 AM ET

It's hard to believe that the Cleveland Browns won 11 games and went to the playoffs two years ago. Last season was a disaster, and this year hasn't been any better.

The biggest reason for that is quarterback issues. Trading for Deshaun Watson was one of the worst moves an NFL team has ever made. The Browns tried to find his long-term replacement by drafting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.

So far, Gabriel looks like a career backup, and they don't even trust Sanders enough to put him on the field and give him a chance. If either of those two wants to stay with Cleveland long-term, they have to hope the Browns don't get the No. 1 pick.

Browns Getting No. 1 Pick Could Be Problem for Sanders & Gabriel

Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders.Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Browns almost certainly don't see either Gabriel or Sanders as franchise quarterbacks. However, the roster has so many needs, and it's no guarantee that they'd use their first-round pick on a quarterback.

That said, if they get the No. 1 pick, they'd be able to pick whichever quarterback they want from the 2026 class. According to ESPN, the Browns currently have a 26.9% chance of getting the No. 1 pick next year.

If that were to happen, insider Dan Graziano thinks that would be the end of Gabriel and Sanders' starter prospects.

"Probably the end of the road in terms of their chances to be the Browns' long-term starter," Graziano wrote. "Unless one of those guys makes it clear over the second half of this season that he can be the franchise QB, the Browns would almost certainly use the No. 1 pick on a QB they believe could be just that. Maybe one of them would stick around as a backup? Or start while the rookie gets up to speed? But that would be about it."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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