Browns to start Dillon Gabriel at QB for Week 5 game in London against Vikings

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed to Cleveland players Wednesday morning that Dillon Gabriel will start this week vs. the Vikings, sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

The change comes shortly after coach Kevin Stefanski sidestepped questions about potentially changing quarterbacks following Week 4's 34-10 loss to the Lions that dropped Cleveland to 1-3 on the 2025 season.

Gabriel's first start will be in Week 5 when the Browns face the Vikings in London. He will be the first quarterback to make his first NFL start outside the United States, according to CBS Sports research.

The Browns are yet to score more than 17 points in a game this season. Out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks, Flacco ranks last in the NFL in passer rating (60.3), completion rate (58.1%) and yards per attempt (5.1), and 31st in expected points added per play (-0.31). His six interceptions are the second-most picks by a quarterback in the league. Only the Titans have scored fewer points than the Browns this season.

In Gabriel, the Browns are turning to a rookie, but one who has played plenty of football. Gabriel, 24, played six years in college at UCF (2019-21), Oklahoma (2022-23) and Oregon (2024). He finished third in 2024 Heisman Trophy voting and led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff's No. 1 overall seed. Gabriel's 189 touchdowns accounted for (passing, rushing and receiving) are the most in FBS history, and his 63 career starts are most by a quarterback in FBS history.

Cleveland selected Gabriel in the third round (94th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft and picked Colorado star Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round (144th overall). They joined a quarterback room that eventually swelled to five players on the active roster with Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Tyler Huntley. The Browns also have Deshaun Watson on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.

As the preseason wore on, Gabriel secured his spot at Flacco's primary backup. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and an interception in preseason Week 2 against the Eagles and 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards and a touchdowns in preseason Week 3 against the Rams. Gabriel has also relieved Flacco at the end of two blowout losses in the regular season. He completed all three of his passes for 19 yards and a touchdown in a 41-17 Week 2 loss to the Ravens and had one incomplete pass against the Lions.

Sanders has been listed as an inactive (emergency third quarterback) in all four games this season.

What to expect from Dillon Gabriel

Gabriel, a lefty, has good if not great mobility for a quarterback, which will be helpful behind a Browns blocking unit that ranks 30th in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grades. Here are some excerpts from Chris Trapasso's scouting report:

Strengths

"Gabriel is patient in the pocket. It's his clearest strength on film. Unlike the vast majority of quarterbacks in today's game who flee at the first indication of pressure or when their first read is covered, Gabriel will stand and scan."

"When he needed to operate outside the pocket, Gabriel has proven to be capable. On those designed rollouts, he demonstrated surprising velocity while throwing on the run with quality."

"Gabriel's accuracy is a plus, although I can't label him as surgical with his ball placement."

Weaknesses

"Gabriel's arm is not atrocious. By NFL standards, it'll be average on a good day, and slightly below-average on a bad one. There aren't many times on film when he displayed the ability to really drive a ball through a closing window or stretch a defense vertically more than 25 yards."

"When everything's operating well within structure, almost all of his passes will be on time and to the correct receiver based on where coverage dictates he should throw the ball. When that's not the case, things can get ugly."

Expect the Browns to at least try to lean more into the run game, especially if game script allows them to. That could be the case against the Vikings' struggling offense. Plus, Minnesota ranks 22nd in yards per rush allowed (4.5). Over the past two weeks, Quinshon Judkins has averaged 19.5 carries and 88 rushing yards per game.

When the Browns do go to the air, expect plenty of quick-hitting passes in an attempt to get Gabriel in a rhythm -- the types of throws he thrived on at Oregon. Judkins, running back Jerome Ford and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. could be early top targets.

What does this mean for Shedeur Sanders?

At the least, this shows Stefanski's willingness to make a change at the game's most important position. The Browns are not going to contend for a playoff spot this year, and it makes sense for the team to see what it has behind Flacco, who is 40 years old and on a one-year deal.

That Stefanski made this move this early portends well for Sanders getting his shot at some point this season. When, exactly, that is remains TBD. The Browns will want to give Gabriel a decently long runway. They drafted him with a pick in the top 100, after all, and made him Flacco's primary backup. Coaches will say that they want to win. For all intents and purposes, though, this season is now on player development and assessment -- especially at the game's most important position. The staff needs time to assess Gabriel, and Gabriel deserves time to acclimate to the NFL level.

Depending on how Gabriel performs, the team could want to see what Sanders can provide, too. Widely perceived as a potential first- or second-round pick, Sanders fell to the fifth round due to wide-ranging factors. He showed some exciting ups in the preseason -- some "wow" throws and other impressive moments -- but also had some struggles that were on display at Colorado, too.

Still, at this point, there'd be little reason to go back to Flacco if Gabriel's play is untenable or if he gets hurt. The Browns know the level of play Flacco provides. They likely knew that before the season started. Now that they've deemed Gabriel ready to start, Sanders could be next in line as the franchise's seemingly endless search for a long-term answer at quarterback continues.

What does this mean for the Browns?

Remember, Cleveland holds not only its own first-round pick in 2026, but Jacksonville's as well thanks to the trade that netted the Jaguars Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick. The Browns will almost certainly have a look at quarterback, whether it's available with their own pick or via trading up.

This could also lead to several young players getting more chances. Cleveland has 12 rookies on its active roster, including two at quarterback, three at running back and one each at wide receiver and tight end. Cleveland won't completely abandon its veterans -- it needs to create a viable environment for its young quarterbacks especially -- but the change to Gabriel could be a sign of things to come, roster-wide.

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