Dillon Gabriel

In the Cleveland quarterback competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, there could be a third candidate creeping up on the outside.

Dillon Gabriel, drafted two rounds before Sanders in 2025, is performing well enough to earn more chances to perform.

“I said it the other day, everybody’s competing, but you’re not guaranteed the same amount of reps,” coach Todd Monken told reporters on Monday. “So it’s up to the player to take advantage and maximize those reps, which I feel like Dillon has done. So we’ll see as we move forward, if that continues, we’ll continue to up his reps. He’s earned that. That’s what every player should expect, right? If they play well, you have to up the reps, or what’s the purpose of playing well?”

Watson and Sanders are certainly not locks to be the QB1 at this point, although Watson's salary may be a factor in the end. But the Browns have no other reason not to give the job to the best player. This will be a battle in camp to watch since the Browns are collecting some offensive talent to support whoever wins the job. At the very least, it's a wake-up call to Watson and Sanders.