The Cleveland Browns insist Dillon Gabriel has not become a forgotten man inside the organization. From the outside, it is becoming more difficult to believe them.
Gabriel — a third-round pick in 2025 — was not featured in the behind-the-scenes photos the Browns shared from their media day ahead of mandatory minicamp. Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and even sixth-round rookie Taylen Green appeared in the team’s content.
Gabriel may have participated and simply missed the final cut. His unresolved jersey-number situation could also explain why Cleveland did not showcase him in uniform.
But the absence was noticeable. Gabriel has fallen behind Watson and Sanders in the quarterback competition and lost his No. 8 jersey to pass rusher Jared Verse, who arrived in the trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
General manager Andrew Berry previously pushed back on the idea that Gabriel had been cast aside.
“He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us,” Berry said. “Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”
Dillon Gabriel Still Searching for Jersey Number
Gabriel’s unsettled number may provide the most reasonable explanation for his absence from Cleveland’s media-day content. Verse began wearing No. 8 after joining the Browns, leaving Gabriel without an obvious replacement. Duplicate numbers are permitted during the offseason, but the two players cannot share No. 8 once Cleveland finalizes its 53-man roster. The Browns are awaiting league approval for Gabriel to officially receive a new number, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported.
Still, there might be a limited selection. Per NFL rules, Quarterbacks are limited to Nos. 0 through 19. No. 14 is the only number in that range that is unoccupied, but the Browns retired it in honor of Otto Graham. No. 6 belongs to linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who is not expected to play this season. Other numbers will likely open as the Browns trim their roster.
Dillon Gabriel Facing Uncertain Browns Future
Gabriel’s place in the quarterback room is a bigger concern than the number on his jersey. He went 1-5 as a starter last season, completing 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. A concussion in Week 11 opened the door for Sanders, who held onto the job for the remainder of the season.
Gabriel has worked behind Watson and Sanders during the offseason program. Head coach Todd Monken appeared to reinforce that pecking order when discussing Cleveland’s quarterbacks.
“I’m fired up by the quarterbacks. I just tell you, we got two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do,” Monken said, referring to Sanders and Watson.
Despite the turbulence, Gabriel has tried to tune out the speculation.
“I’m just running my own race and focus on what I can control and that’s mastering my reps and doing it at a high level,” Gabriel said in April during voluntary minicamp.
The Browns are very unlikely to carry four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Watson and Sanders are competing to start, while Green offers developmental value as a recent draft pick with unusual size and athleticism.
Gabriel could potentially appeal to a team looking for depth via trade. The Browns would not command a significant return, but a late-round or conditional pick could be preferable to losing him for nothing.
For now, Gabriel has mandatory minicamp — starting Tuesday, June 9 — training camp and the preseason to change the conversation.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Dillon Gabriel Takes Another Hit Ahead of Browns Minicamp appeared first on HEAVY.