Cleveland Browns’ Dillon Gabriel was part of one of the biggest storylines of the last regular season. The Browns’ rookie was in competition with Shedeur Sanders to bag the starting quarterback role for the team.
Gabriel started the season as a backup quarterback before moving up to the starting QB role. Then, on November 16, he sustained a concussion during a game, which paved the way for Sanders to take over.
Despite having two capable quarterbacks and a balanced roster, the Browns’ season was disappointing. They won just five games in the season, lost 12, and finished at the bottom of the AFC North.
The Browns failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Now that their offseason has commenced, Gabriel is enjoying his free time. He was recently seen on his girlfriend, Zo Caswell’s, Instagram story.
Caswell posted a picture of herself with Gabriel and captioned it, “Home” with a heart emoji.
In the six games that Gabriel started this year, he went 1-5. He recorded 937 passing yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. That was far below the expectation that the Browns had from him.
Gabriel was drafted as a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. His stints with the Oregon Ducks and the Oklahoma Sooners in college football had set the bar very high, which is what prompted the Browns to select him in the draft.
It was recently revealed that Gabriel was expected to be picked in later rounds, but coach Kevin Stefanski, who was recently fired by the organization, played a role in Gabriel becoming a third-round pick.
Kevin Stefanski’s Gamble on Dillon Gabriel
As per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Stefanski influenced the Browns’ decision to pick Gabriel in the third round. That decision eventually led to problems within the organization, as Stefanski had a terrible run this season, and he eventually got fired.
“The move to Gabriel, a team source said Stefanski’s input weighed heavily in the decision to draft him at No. 94 — didn’t turn things around, and the midseason changes continued.”
“When the Browns returned from their Week 9 bye with a 2-6 record, Stefanski announced he was turning over the playcalling duties to (Tommy) Rees. It marked the second consecutive season that Stefanski gave the responsibility to his offensive coordinator amid offensive struggles,” Oyefusi stated in his report.
Gabriel is expected to be a long-term prospect for the Browns, and there’s no denying the talent that he possesses as a quarterback. His future, however, will largely depend on his ability to turn things around next season.
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