After a sloppy 27-20 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced postgame that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will remain the starter.
The game itself features two Jets special-teams touchdowns and another rough showing from the Browns offense, with Gabriel finishing 17 of 32 (53.1%) for just 167 yards and two touchdowns, being sacked six times.
Stefanski’s decision to stick with Gabriel has drawn substantial attention due to the fact that their other rookie QB, Shedeur Sanders, has not played a regular-season snap in the NFL.
Despite falling to 2-7 and well outside of the playoff picture, the Browns appear intent on maintaining course — a stance that drew strong criticism from two prominent Cleveland radio hosts.
During Monday’s ESPN Cleveland program, hosts Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer debated Stefanski’s decision. Rizzo, clearly frustrated, wondered if Shedeur would see any action this season and bluntly asked what the rookie stood to gain — and whether Deion Sanders would even want that for his son, given how bad the offense looks.
“See, I think this is all part of what’s going on with Shedeur,” Goldhammer responded. “Rizz, I guess that Coach Stefanski would rather get fired than play Shedeur Sanders because I think that’s where we’re at.”
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Cleveland traded up to take Sanders at No. 144 in April after standout seasons at Jackson State and Colorado that saw him finish his college career with an FBS record 71.8% completion rate.
As the 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner (and the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer), he arrived with massive buzz, but also questions about how quickly he could translate to the NFL.
Despite all of the noise, he flashed in the preseason (14 of 23 completions for 138 yards, two TDs, and zero interceptions in his debut) and has even earned praise for his calmness, accuracy, and willingness to learn the playbook despite being the backup.
Yet, he still hasn’t been given any real opportunity.
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On one hand, Gabriel is a game-managing rookie who has thrown seven touchdown passes to just two interceptions in five starts. On the other, he is only averaging 124 passing yards per game, completing just 58.6% of his passes, and Cleveland’s offense ranks among the worst in the NFL, averaging the fourth-fewest points per game (16.2).
Coach Stefanski has repeatedly said he’ll “look at everything,” but has stopped short of benching Gabriel, a decision that has been highly publicized and scrutinized for weeks now.
At the end of the day, Gabriel might remain the team’s starter, but that could change quickly. If Sanders stays benched as the offense continues to struggle, it will only amplify calls for a change and potentially even put Stefanski’s job at risk.
