Browns Keep Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 as Dillon Gabriel Throws 3 TDs

Q: How did Shedeur Sanders secure the backup role without playing, despite Gabriel's near-perfect preseason finale?

Shedeur Sanders secured the backup job because the Browns had already made that decision based on the full body of work from the offseason, training camp, joint practices and the first two preseason games — not on one final exhibition performance by Dillon Gabriel. Todd Monken made clear that Sanders’ place behind starter Deshaun Watson was settled before the Patriots game, which is why Sanders did not play. Monken said Gabriel’s strong night did not change the depth chart and specifically rejected the idea that Gabriel had jumped Sanders. The broader context favored Sanders. He had been the direct competitor to Watson throughout camp, sharing first-team reps and alternating preseason starts. Reporting around the team indicated Cleveland viewed Sanders as ahead of Gabriel for much of the offseason, in part because Sanders finished last season as the starter after Gabriel was sidelined and then stayed ahead entering 2026. Gabriel’s near-perfect finale helped his case to remain on the roster or earn a larger role, but it came late and largely against New England’s backups. Cleveland appears to have weighed Sanders’ longer evaluation window more heavily than Gabriel’s best single game. So Sanders did not win the backup role by that one week; he won it over months of practice and prior evaluation, and the Browns treated the finale as a roster-decision game for Gabriel and Taylen Green rather than a battle for QB2.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 28

Todd Monken said Shedeur Sanders is locked in as Deshaun Watson’s backup, even after Dillon Gabriel’s standout showing in Cleveland’s preseason finale.
Gabriel went 12-of-15 for 186 yards and three first-half touchdowns in a 37-13 win over New England, posting a 157.9 passer rating and driving five scoring series.
That performance sharpened the Browns’ real decision lower on the depth chart: whether to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster or risk Gabriel or rookie Taylen Green on waivers.
Green added to the squeeze by completing 5 of 7 passes for 27 yards and rushing for 66 yards, including a 30-yard escape run near Cleveland’s goal line.
Cleveland must cut to 53 players by Sunday, leaving Gabriel — a 2025 third-round pick who started six games as a rookie — facing a trade, a third-string role or a waiver move.