The Cleveland Browns are heading into their bye and have two weeks to assess the quarterback position after another poor outing by the offense, this time against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel cut loose in his fourth start more than at any point in the season, but still finished the day 21 of 35 passing for 156 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Browns lost to the Patriots 32-13 in Week 8, as the offense is now averaging 17.5 points per game with Gabriel leading from under center.
Fellow rookie signal-caller Shedeur Sanders was inactive Sunday with back tightness that popped up Saturday morning. It is unclear if he will be ready to go when the team next takes the field against the New York Jets on Nov. 9, however the news surrounding the back injury doesn’t appear too dire.
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Still, the injury sparked speculation across social media that Cleveland might be shopping Sanders ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com threw cold water on that theory on Saturday, saying that Sanders will finish out the year with the Browns and eventually get his chance to show what he can do as the team’s starter.
She followed up that report Sunday by revealing that Cleveland is all but certain to select a quarterback in the first round of 2026 draft, regardless of how the season plays out for either of its rookie QBs.
“I do think the Browns will draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 draft with one or both of their first-round picks, their own and/or the Jaguars from the 2025 draft day trade,” Cabot said.
“The Browns have been heavily scouting the top quarterbacks such as Oregon’s Dante Moore, Alabama’s Ty Simpson and South Carolina’s Lanorris Sellers. They’re in need of a franchise QB, and will undoubtedly take one in this class, even if Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders show great promise.”
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