As training camp nears, everyone has an eye on the QB1 competition in the Cleveland Browns. New head coach Todd Monken said he’d have his QB1 before that point, even though he has four to choose from. After the OTAs, we now have an update on where this heated battle is headed, but Dillon Gabriel might have a reason to worry.

“In a perfect world, you’d love to have your starting quarterback, right? I’m not sure we’ll be there, I’m just not,” Monken told the press. “I think both quarterbacks have played well enough where we haven’t really been in pads. We haven’t played any games yet. Haven’t really got to that point yet. Every day I kind of lean one way or the other with quarterbacks. I just tell you, we got two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do.” 

Monken hasn’t officially revealed who these two players are, but we already know them. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have been the main contenders for the QB1 job throughout the offseason. 

ESPN’s Tony Grossi reported that Watson was 9-of-17 and scored two touchdowns, while also recording an interception. Shedeur Sanders was 7-of-15 and scored thrice, with zero interceptions. Gabriel followed behind, going 4-of-5 and one touchdown. Last week, he only got three competitive reps in a 7-on-7 period.

By now, it has become clear that he might have to be on the bench for a long time this season.

Gabriel’s chances of starting the games for the upcoming season were already pretty low, as he failed to establish himself as a contributor last season. He got the opportunity to be QB1 in Week 5, but put together a lackluster performance. And in Week 11, a concussion took him out of the lineup, bringing Sanders up the order. 

In Gabriel’s absence, Sanders at least held down the fort for Cleveland at the quarterback position. His performance wasn’t all that impressive, but there were flashes of his potential. That dimmed the outlook for Gabriel, who presented a lot more upside than Sanders when they were drafted in 2025.

The former Oregon Ducks QB holds the record for the most passing touchdowns in the FBS. He even finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. But in the NFL, his dominance disappeared. It’s a sad reality for a talent who came from a system that created Bo Nix and Marcus Mariota.

Coming into the 2026 season, Gabriel was rarely part of the QB1 chatter. Most of it was dominated either by Deshaun Watson’s comeback or by Shedeur Sanders’ chances to make away with the QB1 crown amid the veteran’s return. But Gabriel will not go down without a fight.

Dillon Gabriel focused on the road ahead

“I’ve been in a bunch of competitions up until this point,” Gabriel recently said. “You just got to focus on yourself and master those reps so you can keep getting better and ultimately the best player will play.” 

Unlike his previous QB1 battles, Gabriel never got the chance to dominate the race in Cleveland. He had two veterans ahead of him in the lineup, but impressed former head coach Kevin Stefanski enough to book the QB2 spot.  If he had stayed healthy last year, there might have been a different narrative to the Cleveland QB1 battle this year.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy as a competitor,” Gabriel said when asked about losing the starting job due to the concussion. “But you just want to keep staying the course.”

For now, Watson has the highest possibility of starting given that he’s already recovered from his Achilles injury. By mid-May, per FanDuel Sportsbook, the veteran’s odds to become QB1 were at -174. Sanders slotted in next at +136, while Gabriel’s odds were at a disappointing +5500. 

Perhaps with his 10-game experience from last season, Gabriel can at least edge out rookie quarterback Taylen Green to guarantee himself some space in the depth chart.