The struggles for the Cleveland Browns returned on Sunday in their 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots. But despite the lackluster offensive performance, head coach Kevin Stefanski has made a commitment to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, meaning that Shedeur Sanders will remain on the sideline.
Gabriel Struggles. But Shedeur Sanders Will Remain On The Bench
Instead of capitalizing on the momentum created in their win against Miami in Week 7, the Browns fell flat against the Patriots. They finished the game with just 213 total yards from scrimmage, the 5th time they’ve finished under 250 in a game this season. Myles Garrett had an impressive five sack day for the defense, but the unit as a whole gave up 30 points.
QB Dillion Gabriel will remain the Browns' starter following the team's bye, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced. pic.twitter.com/IBlHffFkpV
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 26, 2025
Gabriel had two touchdowns on the day, but not much else about his game was a positive. In his fourth career start, he completed just 21 of his 35 pass attempts for a total of 156 yards, which came out to just 4.5 yards per attempt. He came into the game with no interceptions on his record, but he threw two of them against New England, both in the third quarter, to kill any attempt at a Cleveland comeback.
Given Gabriel’s lack of success, there are many wondering if fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders will be getting his chance in the coming weeks. But judging by the post game comments from Stefanski, it doesn’t appear as though the team is planning on making a change at quarterback.
Stefanski Makes A Call On The QB Situation
With the Browns headed into their bye week and with 13 days off before they return to action, now seems like an optimal time to make such a roster shift. But Stefanski has put his faith in Gabriel, confirming that he will be the starter when the team plays next on November 9th.
Dillon Gabriel is NOT an NFL QB. I don’t understand why they continue to roll him out over Shedeur Sanders.
This should be Gabriel’s last game as the #Browns starter.. pic.twitter.com/9iLGI1ZnkG
— Larry Foster (@LarryFosterNFL) October 26, 2025
The sentiment echos one given by the team’s owner this past week. Jimmy Haslam was quoted saying that the team would like to give Gabriel a larger sample size before making a decision, though he did mention that Sanders was progressing in practice.
After the Joe Flacco trade, Sanders moved up to the No. 2 quarterback spot, but has yet to play in a regular-season game. On Sunday, he was sidelined with a back injury, leaving Bailey Zappe to serve as Gabriel’s backup.
Thanks to Sunday’s win by the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns are now alone at the bottom of the AFC North standings.
