The Cleveland Browns just finished a 5-12 season that felt like a decade-long fever dream. Kevin Stefanski is gone. The roster is aging in all the wrong places. But the only thing anyone in Northeast Ohio actually wants to talk about is the weirdest quarterback room in the NFL. Specifically, the awkward, high-stakes collision between Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and the ghost of Deshaun Watson’s contract.
Honestly, if you told a Browns fan a year ago that they’d be starting a fifth-round rookie from Colorado and a third-rounder from Oregon in the same season, they’d have asked which dimension you just traveled from. Yet, here we are. It’s 2026, and the Browns are holding the No. 6 overall pick with no clue who is actually leading this team into September.
Why Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are Stuck in Limbo
Let's be real about what happened last season. Dillon Gabriel started the year because the team thought he was the "safe" pick. He was the experienced college vet with 60-plus starts under his belt. He was supposed to be the point guard who didn't turn the ball over. Instead, he went 1-5 as a starter. His lack of size—he’s barely 5-foot-11—became a massive problem behind a crumbling offensive line. When he went down with a concussion in Week 11 against the Ravens, the door swung open for Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders is... different. He’s got that "it" factor that Mel Kiper Jr. hasn't stopped screaming about on ESPN. He finished the season 3-4 as a starter. That might not sound like much, but in Cleveland, three wins for a rookie feels like a Super Bowl parade. He threw for 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns in eight appearances.
But there's a catch.
He also threw 10 interceptions. He holds the ball until the heat death of the universe. He took sacks that made fans want to pull their hair out. Andrew Berry, the GM who is somehow still standing after the Stefanski firing, called him a "work in progress." That’s NFL-speak for "we like the talent, but we don't trust the brain yet."
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The Deshaun Watson Problem (Again)
You can't talk about Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel without mentioning the $230 million elephant in the room. Deshaun Watson missed all of 2025 rehabbing an Achilles tear. He’s 30 now. His QBR since joining the Browns is essentially at the bottom of the league.
But because of that fully guaranteed contract, the Browns can't just cut him. Not yet. The latest word from Berea is that Watson will be on the 2026 roster. Imagine that training camp. You’ve got a highly paid veteran trying to prove he’s not "washed," a fifth-round kid with massive confidence and a famous dad, and a third-round pick in Gabriel who is basically fighting for his roster spot. It’s a reality TV show, not a football team.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2026 Draft
There is a huge misconception that the Browns are guaranteed to take a quarterback at No. 6.
It’s not that simple. The 2026 class took a massive hit when Dante Moore decided to stay at Oregon. That left Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as the clear-cut prize, and he’s almost certainly going in the top three. If the Browns can't get Mendoza, do they really want to draft another mid-tier rookie to compete with the two mid-tier rookies they already have?
Probably not.
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Experts like Field Yates have suggested the Browns might actually keep Shedeur Sanders as the starter and use their two first-round picks (they have an extra one from the Jaguars) to actually help him. Think about it. Jerry Jeudy hasn't been a true No. 1. The offensive line is "flaking away," as some local writers put it. Drafting a weapon like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate or a tackle like Caleb Lomu might do more for the win column than drafting "Quarterback Prospect C."
Gabriel vs Sanders: The Statistical Reality
If you look at the raw EPA (Expected Points Added) per dropback, it’s ugly. Both Gabriel and Sanders ranked at the very bottom of the league last year among QBs with at least 200 attempts.
- Dillon Gabriel: 59.5% completion, 7 TDs, 2 INTs. Safe, but stagnant.
- Shedeur Sanders: 56.6% completion, 7 TDs, 10 INTs. High ceiling, basement floor.
Gabriel is the guy you play if you want to lose 17-10. Sanders is the guy you play if you’re okay losing 38-35 but want to see a 50-yard bomb every now and then. In a city that has seen enough boring losing to last a lifetime, the fan base is clearly leaning toward Shedeur. He’s got the "big-play mindset" that this offense has lacked since... well, maybe ever.
The Search for a New Head Coach
Whoever takes the Browns job is inheriting a mess, but also a fascinating laboratory. If the Browns hire an offensive-minded guy—someone like Todd Monken—they might see Shedeur as a moldable piece of clay.
But if they go with a "culture" coach, they might prefer the stability of a veteran or a high-draft-pick "reset." The rumors about Arch Manning have cooled off because, frankly, the Browns played themselves out of the No. 1 pick by winning a few games at the end of the year. That's the most Browns thing ever: winning just enough to miss out on a generational QB, but not enough to actually make the playoffs.
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The Verdict for 2026
So, where does this leave us?
Dillon Gabriel is likely the odd man out. He’s under contract, but his lack of arm strength and size makes him a career backup in this league. He might be trade bait for a 5th or 6th rounder to a team needing a stable No. 2.
Shedeur Sanders has the "inside track" for a training camp battle, but he hasn't earned the job. He’s basically on a one-year audition. If he doesn't cut down the interceptions and learn to throw the ball away, the Browns will be hunting for a replacement in the 2027 draft before the first leaf falls in October.
Actionable Steps for the Browns Offseason
If this team wants to actually compete in the AFC North, they can't just keep swapping chairs on the Titanic.
- Prioritize the Line: Neither Sanders nor Gabriel can survive another season with the worst tackle duo in the league. Using the Jacksonville pick on an offensive lineman is non-negotiable.
- Define the Hierarchy: Pick a lane. If Sanders is the guy, give him the first-team reps from day one of OTA's. Don't do the "three-way competition" that kills chemistry.
- The Watson Decision: Move Deshaun to a "mentor" role or a permanent backup spot. His presence as a potential starter only muddies the water for a young QB trying to lead the huddle.
The Browns have a chance to turn Shedeur Sanders into a legitimate NFL starter, but they have to stop acting like a team that’s one player away. They are a "foundation" away. Whether it’s Sanders, Gabriel, or a rookie yet to be named, the guy under center is only as good as the system around him. Right now, that system is broken.
Keep an eye on the Senior Bowl and the Combine. If the Browns don't move up for a QB there, it’s the Shedeur Sanders show in Cleveland for 2026. Brace yourselves. It’s going to be a loud, chaotic, and very "Sanders" kind of year.