By Evan Massey
Copyright newsweek
Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns have compiled a 1-3 record through the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season. So far, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has looked rough.
Entering the season, there was hope that Flacco could find some of the magic that he had with the team previously. That hasn’t been the case. His struggles have started making fans call for a change at the quarterback position.
Of course, behind Flacco, the Browns have two rookies on the roster. Dillon Gabriel is currently the primary backup, while Shedeur Sanders has been serving as the No. 3 signal caller on the depth chart.
Read more: Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Discouraging NFL Future Update
Heading into Week 5 action against the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland has received a bombshell report from a team insider.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field on September 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.
During an appearance on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Rizzo reported that Gabriel will be the team’s starter this week. Nothing has been heard from Stefanski or the team about a change at quarterback, but the move would make a lot of sense.
“Dillon Gabriel is going to start, according to my sources,” Rizzo said.
Flacco has completed just 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions through the first four games. There is no reason to continue trotting him out onto the field if the team isn’t going to win or compete at a high level.
As for Gabriel, he has played sparingly this season. In his very limited action, he has completed three of his four pass attempts for 19 yards and a touchdown. Sanders has not played yet.
Making the move to start Gabriel against the Vikings would be a bold move, but it would bring a renewed sense of excitement for the Browns. At the very worst, Cleveland would be finding out what kind of talent it has in the third-round rookie. The Browns need to figure that out about both Gabriel and Sanders by the end of the year.
Read more: Packers Urged to Consider Making Big Move to Fix Glaring Issue
Will the team actually make the change this week? That remains to be seen. Rizzo’s report is interesting and makes sense, but until it’s announced by the team it’s simply a rumor.
Expect to hear more news about the Cleveland quarterback situation in the very near future. For now, there is at least hope that Stefanski and the Browns could make a change and replace Flacco with Gabriel in Week 5.
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