The Cleveland Browns have been more competitive than expected to begin the 2025 campaign, but that hasn’t stopped them from posting a 1-3 record over their first three games. After losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 4, the team announced that third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel would draw the start at quarterback instead of Joe Flacco in Week 5.
Gabriel will become just the latest player to start under center for the Browns in what has seemingly been an endless revolving door at the position. In fact, in the wake of this move, Cleveland has now put itself in an unfortunate league of its own thanks to a mind-boggling statistic that has emerged.
Browns’ Quarterback Futility Reaches New Heights After Dillon Gabriel Move
Over the past 30 years, the Browns have not only been one of the worst teams in the NFL, but also one of the worst teams in all of professional sports. They have made it to the playoffs just three times during that span, winning only one game in those trips. Simply put, Cleveland’s struggles have been one of the few guarantees in the world of sports in recent years.
Much of their ineptitude comes as a result of their inability to find a consistent answer at quarterback. The Browns have struck out time and again in their search for a franchise quarterback, and every time it happens, the more frustrated fans get. Their latest failed move saw them swing a massive trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, only for him to struggle mightily on the field and suffer a slew of injuries.
That has left Cleveland with its current quarterback depth chart of Flacco, Gabriel, and fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders. Flacco has held his own, but he’s not the future of the franchise, which has led the team to turn to Gabriel. With this move, Gabriel will become the 41st different starting quarterback for the Browns since 1999, which is easily the highest figure in the league during that stretch.
Dillon Gabriel will become the 41st starting QB for the Browns since 1999 — the most by any NFL team in that span,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared in a post on X.
Browns Hoping Dillon Gabriel is the Answer at Quarterback
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns took a pair of fliers on Gabriel and Sanders, as they didn’t have a true answer at quarterback entering the season. The expectation was that they’d give both of these guys, particularly Gabriel, an opportunity to take the field this season, with the hope that one of them can make the starting job their own.