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Former Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel to make first NFL start in Week 5
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Dillon Gabriel will make his first career NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face off against the Minnesota Vikings from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Cleveland announced the change Wednesday morning. According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Browns informed quarterback Joe Flacco on Wednesday morning that they are making a quarterback change ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Vikings. Flacco will serve as the backup on Sunday while fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders will remain the third-string QB.
Gabriel was the 94th overall pick (third round) in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-11 quarterback spent his final collegiate season at Oregon, where he led the Ducks to a 12-0 regular-season record, a Big Ten title, and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
He has just 4 career NFL pass attempts through the Browns’ first 4 games. He went 3-for-3 for 19 yards and a touchdown in a Sept. 14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns (1-3) have the NFL’s second-worst scoring offense with Flacco at the helm. Flacco, 40, completed 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards with 2 touchdowns and 6 interceptions through his first 4 starts.
Flacco was the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year with Cleveland, then spent the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts. He rejoined the Browns this past offseason on a 1-year deal. The 18-year vet has an NFL-worst 8 turnovers and a 27.0 Total QBR that ranks 32nd among 33 qualified quarterbacks.
Sunday’s game against the Vikings will kick off at 9:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.