Despite the 1-3 start to the season, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski indirectly suggested that Joe Flacco will be retained as the starting quarterback.
However, ahead of their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in London, it appears the Browns are going to start rookie and Oregon standout Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback. The development was reported by Adam Schefter.
Shedeur Sanders remain the third string quarterback. Flacco will be the primary backup quarterback to Gabriel in this week’s game.
Change in Cleveland: Browns are benching veteran QB Joe Flacco in favor of rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, per sources. The Browns were informed of the change this morning.
Gabriel’s first NFL start comes Sunday in London vs. the Vikings. pic.twitter.com/lUV1W5RQob
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2025
While Gabriel is slated to start, some fans believe it should be Shedeur Sanders who should get the nod. Gabriel was picked in the third round while the Colorado star was picked in the fifth round.
“Lmaooooooo iight watch how worse it get for them . They will not win until they start Shedeur,” one fan commented.
Lmaooooooo iight watch how worse it get for them . They will not win until they start Shedeur . https://t.co/RL15yLufw8
— Benji 💰 (@Blu3Benjamins) October 1, 2025
“I wish my Browns would stop f*ckin playin and just start Shedeur,” another fan wrote.
“START SHEDEUR,” one fan posted.
“I can’t think of a worse team for a young QB to play in his first start. The Vikings come at QBs from everywhere and have playmakers at every level. Going to be a long flight home for Dillon Gabriel. Shedeur Sanders should count himself lucky not to get the nod,” a fan opined.
“Expect Shedeur to start within 3 weeks,” one fan said.
“Shedeur will start by 9-10, and the browns will rake in the money,” another fan predicted.
What Kevin Stefanski said after losing to Lions?
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged the shortcomings on offense in another loss. The Detroit Lions defeated them 34-10 last week. After the game, when everyone was blaming Joe Flacco for not being able to consistently get near the endzone, Stefanski pushed back on pinning blame solely on one player.
“I understand the question, especially when we are struggling the way we are on offense,” Stefanski said. “But that’s not our focus right now. To have any success on either side of the ball, you need to play well and play together. Right now, we have too many things going wrong, and we all own that. It isn’t because of one player.”
The Browns face the Vikings (2-2) this week. Gabriel will be making his NFL debut as the starting quarterback and it remains to be seen if he takes the role for himself. If he doesn’t do well in his position, there’s a chance Shedeur Sanders gets the start down the stretch.
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