The youth movement has officially begun for the Cleveland Browns, as they inserted rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel over veteran Joe Flacco as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Flacco will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Gabriel, while fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders will remain the third-string signal-caller for the Browns.
Still, NFL fans on social media feel that it’s just a matter of time before Sanders takes over as the starter at some point this season:
The Browns surprised the masses this past offseason when they used two of their 2025 draft picks to select a quarterback, drafting Gabriel in the third round and trading up to land Sanders after he fell to the fifth round.
Cleveland held a four-way quarterback competition during training camp that also included Kenny Pickett, who was later traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. Flacco won the competition, with Gabriel being named the primary backup and Sanders serving as the No. 3 quarterback.
Unfortunately, Flacco’s veteran experience hasn’t been enough to lead the Browns to success, as the team has a 1-3 record entering Week 5. Flacco has thrown for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions this year. He failed to surpass 200 passing yards in each of his last three starts.
Gabriel has seen action twice so far this season, relieving Flacco near the end of blowout losses. He completed all three of his passes for 19 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in a 41-17 loss in Week 2.
Still, it’s safe to assume that the Browns would want to evaluate both of their young quarterbacks during a rebuilding year, so Sanders will likely get the chance to showcase his skills at some point this season.
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