Todd Monken addresses Dillon Gabriel return amid Shedeur Sanders trade rumors

The Cleveland Browns confirmed on Tuesday that backup quarterback Dillon Gabriel had been designated to return to practice from injured reserve.

Gabriel spent the first four weeks of the season recovering from a back injury, but his inevitable return sparked new rumors suggesting that either he or fellow second-year pro Shedeur Sanders could be made available to other teams ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Browns head coach Todd Monken hinted that he may not make a final decision about his quarterback situation anytime soon. 

Sounds like Browns will delay big Dillon Gabriel decision

Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Monken was noncommittal on adding Gabriel to the active roster soon or having four quarterbacks on the Browns' active roster. Currently, Sanders, starter Deshaun Watson and rookie Taylen Green are the Browns' active options at the position. Meanwhile, Gabriel will start to get reps as part of the scout team and in individual drills.

As Jacob Roach of Browns Wire/USA Today noted, Cleveland has 21 days to activate Gabriel to the 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will go back on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Watson is comfortably cemented atop the Browns' depth chart after he guided the club to three straight wins and a 3-1 record. However, his worrisome injury history could be one reason the Browns aren't in a hurry to move on from either Sanders or Gabriel this fall. 

Additionally, reports mentioned that the Browns are "not looking to trade" Sanders and are instead playing "the long game" regarding his ongoing development. 

Browns have this short-term plan for Dillon Gabriel

As shared by Justin Cooper of ESPN Cleveland, Monken added that the short-term plan is to get Gabriel back on the practice field and "see where he's at" in his recovery. Monken also insisted he's looking forward to seeing Gabriel participate in practices. 

That said, Monken's comments would lead one to believe that Sanders will remain Cleveland's QB2 through at least the club's game at the 1-3 New York Jets this coming Sunday.