The Browns have another quarterback decision looming, and Dillon Gabriel is the reason why.
Cleveland announced Tuesday that Gabriel, along with defensive tackle Kalia Davis, has been designated to return to practice from injured reserve ahead of the New York Jets game. That does not mean either player is back on the active roster yet.
The Browns now have a 21-day window to decide whether to activate them. If they don’t, both players stay on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
For Gabriel, it’s a significant step after the injury that pushed him to injured reserve during roster cuts at the end of August. Cleveland placed him on IR just before the regular season began. Davis, meanwhile, landed on injured reserve on Sept. 1 after suffering a quadriceps injury.
Gabriel’s return to practice gives the Browns a chance to evaluate where he stands physically before making a call. And that call matters because Cleveland’s quarterback room has kept moving without him.
Deshaun Watson is playing well, so this is not about a job opening at the top. The real issue is where Gabriel fits behind him, especially with Shedeur Sanders already waiting in the wings. Gabriel is coming back into a quarterback competition that has already been underway, and the Browns now have to sort out that pecking order.
The preseason numbers give Gabriel a case. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 209 yards, threw three touchdowns and one interception, and posted a 119.6 passer rating. Sanders went 15 of 22 for 153 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, finishing with a 65.2 passer rating.
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