After a 32-13 loss against the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns are languishing at the bottom of the NFC North. The biggest reason behind this disappointing start has been Cleveland’s quarterback drama. Dillon Gabriel has been preferred in the QB1 role despite a disappointing 2-6 record over fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders. This decision has since been turned into a national debate with constant discussion surrounding who should take the reins in Cleveland. But now, recent developments reveal what’s in store for the future of the Browns’ QB rotation.

As turmoil continues in Cleveland, Browns’ insider Ashley Bastock revealed that Shedeur Sanders, like many players on his team, is afraid of discussing injuries in the media. During her appearance on the Afternoon Drive on The Fan podcast, Bastock was questioned about Shedeur Sanders’ injury concerns ahead of the Patriots game. Responding to it, she revealed, “This team, I think, is so squirrelly about injuries in general. And I think the players by nature also get squirrelly in talking about injuries.”

Sanders completed the team practice throughout the week. But before the game, the former Colorado Buffaloes QB was ruled out, citing a back injury that reportedly came into effect after the team’s Friday practice. Subsequently, the 23-year-old was added to the injury list and replaced by Bailey Zappe as the backup QB on Saturday. But Shedeur’s appearance on game day, where he went through pre-game warmups, led to speculation about whether Kevin Stefanski was favoring other QBs over the rookie.

Ashley Bastock also shared how the Cleveland Browns have been wary of discussing player injuries. She then highlighted how the Browns only recently revealed DT Mike Hall Jr. suffered a torn right medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a knee dislocation in the final game of last season and needed surgery.

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Will the Cleveland Browns bench Dillon Gabriel?

The protagonist in the Browns quarterback saga, Dillon Gabriel, has had a difficult initiation into the NFL. Yes, rookie seasons for all players are challenging, but the former Oklahoma Sooners QB has dealt with constant attention and criticism. After being named QB1, replacing veteran Joe Flacco, Gabriel has 85 completions on 142 attempts (a 59.9% completion percentage) for 702 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 78.4.

Despite these decent rookie stats, the Browns have a 1-3 record with the 24-year-old at the helm of the offense. With these disappointing results, Gabriel may soon be back on the bench, especially with outside pressure pushing Stefanski to start Shedeur Sanders. Speaking about how many more games will Gabriel play as a starting QB, Ashley Bastock said, “Two more for sure.”

After confirming Gabriel as the starter against the New York Jets in Week 10, Bastock explained that the Browns want the rookie to get some game time before making their decision. “We know they want to see him string some starts together, and that would put him at like five, right? If my math is correct. So that would be stringing some starts together, and you see where you go from there,” the Cleveland.com writer revealed.

With the QB saga continuing in Cleveland, the Browns must take drastic steps and find a plan for the future over the remainder of this season. A fanbase that has experienced nothing more than mediocrity since 1999 deserves a consistent winning run from its beloved franchise.