This former Oregon Ducks star could find himself on the chopping block this NFL offseason.
Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, two rounds ahead of Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns' decision to draft two quarterbacks was definitely odd, but Gabriel was given every opportunity to win the job.
Gabriel ultimately supplanted Joe Flacco as Cleveland's starter, but it didn't take long before he lost his job to Sanders.
Now, with the Browns having a new head coach in Todd Monken and the chance to select another signal-caller in the 2026 NFL Draft, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine feels that Gabriel is a prime cut candidate.
"Letting go of Dillon Gabriel wouldn't be a pure cost-cutting move. The franchise seems to be headed toward a split from the rookie who started six games this past season," Ballentine wrote.
Gabriel played in 10 games and made six starts for Cleveland this past year, throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and a couple of interceptions while completing 59.5 percent of his passes and posting an 80.8 passer rating.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.The 25-year-old had an extended collegiate career, which began at Central Florida in 2019. He spent three years with the Knights before moving on to Oklahoma for two seasons. Gabriel then transferred to Oregon for his final year of eligibility.
During his lone season with the Ducks, Gabriel totaled 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six picks while completing 72.9 percent of his passes. He also punched in seven rushing scores and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.
In spite of how well Gabriel played at Oregon, the prevailing thought was that he would never be anything more than a backup on the NFL level, which was what made the Browns' decision to use a Day 2 pick on him that much more surprising.
Gabriel is a bit undersized and doesn't have elite arm strength, and while his ability to process information is impressive, he simply does not possess the physical tools to become anything more than a mediocre quarterback in the pros.
We'll see if Cleveland decides to cut him this offseason. The Browns currently have Sanders and Deshaun Watson as their other two quarterbacks on the roster.
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