Oh, how the turntables! For most of the 2025 offseason until Week 11 in the regular season, Dillon Gabriel was the crown jewel of the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room. Things, though, changed quickly after he was sent into concussion protocol, never to start another game for the team.

Instead, Shedeur Sanders, against all odds, became the one the Browns had been looking for. And in light of that, as we enter the 2026 offseason, Gabriel’s career with the team might not be as secure as one might think under new head coach Todd Monken’s regime.

“If the Browns do draft a quarterback in a later round, I could see them trading Dillon Gabriel if they can get something for him,” Browns inside Mary Kay Cabot wrote in her March 8 edition of Hey, Mary Kay!. “I know the Browns still like Gabriel and believe he has good upside potential. But he’s started six games for them and he’s not really in the mix to start for them this season. If they don’t trade him, which they’re open to, they keep him as a developmental QB on a rookie contract who can start games for them if necessary.”

Notably, as per multiple reports, the Browns are keeping their QB competition open, but it is largely between Sanders and Deshaun Watson, who returns after starting in the 2024 season. And it’s not hard to understand why.

After Gabriel finished with a 1-5 record before exiting in Week 11 with a concussion, Sanders stepped in against the Ravens, changing things in a snap. From the get-go, Sanders showed some special instincts we did not see from Gabriel: He was making long throws, he was using his legs to move the chains, and especially, he was mostly making the right decisions under heavy pressure. All of that came despite Sanders not getting any first-team reps until he was eventually named the starter. The 2025 NFL Draft’s fifth-rounder closed out the year as the winningest quarterback on the roster at 3-4 as a starter last season.

So, in this equation, it’s not unexpected that Gabriel is either moved for value or placed as a backup at best. As for what the Browns might get in return, the expectations are modest.

Some reports project Cleveland would receive a fifth- or sixth-round pick in April’s draft for the Oregon alum. That is not a franchise-altering return for a player drafted just a year ago with the tag of a Heisman Trophy finalist, but it is the market reality. What’s more, some reports have already identified a possible landing spot for Gabriel.

The Atlanta Falcons are set to release Kirk Cousins, while Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 11. While that creates a good opening, what stands as the biggest factor is Kevin Stefanski being the team’s head coach. For context, that was the same man who was directly involved in the decision to draft Gabriel in Cleveland.

It was evident that Stefanski truly believed in Gabriel’s skills. Despite criticism on why Sanders was not getting any first or second team reps, the offseason training primarily saw Gabriel sharing those with veteran QB Joe Flacco. Even after the latter was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals and Gabriel became the QB1, Sanders did not get any reps with the first team as a backup should. Meanwhile, Sanders’ relationship with Monken tell a completely different story, and an endearing one at that.

Sanders has reportedly already met Monken at least thrice since the latter joined the organization. The young quarterback even went as far as to gift him a birthday present, a porcelain horse head Monken initially thought was from his wife, which now proudly sits in his office. However, the affinity is definitely not one-sided.

As per an interesting revelation, during the 2025 NFL Draft (during which Monken was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator), he apparently tried to draft Sanders but was refused as the quarterback did not want to be stuck as a backup behind an established starter.

“We tried to draft your as- last year for God’s sake,” Monken said during his first meeting with the signal caller, per a video. “It all worked out. You remember that, right? Some day we’ll get a chance to talk about that.”

Additionally, even during this year’s NFL Combine, Monken heavily appreciated Shedeur Sanders.

“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken told reporters. “Sure, there’s a ways to go, but what rookie isn’t? What first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So, I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and players.”

However, he also clarified that Cleveland’s QB1 spot is still up for grabs. In fact, the organization is reportedly even planning to draft yet another quarterback to the room regardless of what happens with Gabriel. The buzz around that rumor only heated up considerably when they hosted an Alabama quarterback for a Top 30 pre-draft visit this week.

As Dillon Gabriel’s exit looms, the Browns bring Alabama’s Ty Simpson to Berea

The Browns enter the draft with ten picks and a clear mandate to rebuild their offense. Their haul includes two first-round picks (6th and 24th overall). They also have three fifth-round selections and one pick each in the second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh rounds. To start working through that capital, the Browns have opened their Top 30 pre-draft visit schedule, and the early choices have been telling.

On March 5, the Browns hosted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at their headquarters in Berea, Ohio. The visit came after the two sides had already held formal meetings at the combine in Indianapolis. Simpson is widely considered a top-two quarterback in this draft class behind the projected first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. Yet, there’s a catch.

However, Cabot made clear that a first-round selection is unlikely given that the Browns already view Sanders as their starter. Even if Simpson ends up in Cleveland, he would come in as a developmental backup.

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“I don’t really see the Browns drafting Ty Simpson at No. 6 overall. But maybe they’ll keep an eye on him for later in the draft if he slips. I could also see them drafting a QB later in the draft if they see a good developmental prospect there. I don’t see any rookie coming in and overtaking Shedeur Sanders this season,” Cabot added in her edition.

What makes the Simpson visit particularly interesting goes beyond draft positioning. Like Sanders, Simpson has a personal connection to Monken. Ty’s father, Jason Simpson, played baseball at the University of Southern Mississippi in the 1990s. That’s the same school where Monken served as head coach from 2013 to 2015.

“My dad and Coach Monken go way back. They talk often. He texted him when he got the job, and they’ve texted a little bit (since), so if I had the opportunity to play for the Browns, it would be a dream come true,” Simpson said at the combine

Monken’s arrival in Cleveland has been met with mixed reviews. Whether all the moving pieces come together into something real remains to be seen. But if the vibes click, Cleveland might finally be building something worth watching. If they do not, it will be the latest chapter in a long, ongoing saga that Browns fans know all too well.