The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of a quarterback shuffle that’s raising eyebrows, stirring emotions, and-thanks to social media-generating headlines beyond the field. After a 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Browns sit at 3-9, and while the playoff picture is slipping out of focus, the bigger story right now might be what’s happening under center-and off the field.
Let’s start with the quarterback situation. Dillon Gabriel, the rookie out of Oregon, opened the season as the Browns’ starter and made six starts before a concussion in Week 11 against the Ravens opened the door for Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders stepped in, led the team to a win over the Raiders, and has held onto the starting job since. Despite the lopsided loss to the 49ers, Sanders will get the nod again this Sunday against the 1-11 Tennessee Titans.
Against San Francisco, Sanders went 16-of-25 for 149 yards and a touchdown. Solid numbers, especially considering the opponent, but not quite the kind of performance that locks down a franchise QB role.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski seems to be keeping his options open, even as Sanders continues to gain experience. Sanders himself acknowledged the learning curve, saying postgame, “There’s definitely things on film I’m going to look back and want to get back… but at least moving forward I know what we could do differently.”
Gabriel, meanwhile, saw limited action on Sunday-just one snap late in the fourth quarter after Sanders briefly exited with an apparent ankle issue. It was a reminder that while he’s not the starter right now, he’s still very much in the picture.
Off the field, though, the quarterback conversation took an unexpected turn thanks to a TikTok post by Gabriel’s fiancée, Zoe Caswell. In a video captioned “Browns loss what’s new” with a laughing emoji, Caswell showed off her game-day outfit. The post sparked backlash from some fans who felt the joke was poorly timed or unsupportive of the team.
Caswell quickly responded, clarifying that she meant no disrespect and was simply trying to bring some humor to a tough season. “I completely support the team 100%!
Gotta laugh about the losses or else we’ll cry,” she replied to one commenter. She followed up with another message: “For everyone complaining about the caption, I obviously am cheering for the Browns… it’s clearly a joke.”
Still, not all fans were convinced. Some pointed out that similar captions didn’t appear when Gabriel was the starter, questioning the consistency of her support. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can spiral in the social media age-especially when emotions are high and the team is struggling.
Back on the field, the Browns have a chance to regroup this Sunday against the Titans, who currently own the league’s worst record. It’s a winnable game, but what comes after is a brutal gauntlet. Cleveland faces the Bears on December 14, then hosts the Bills and Steelers before wrapping up the regular season against the Bengals on January 4.
With Deshaun Watson still recovering from Achilles surgery and both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett traded away, the Browns’ quarterback room is now all about the rookies-Gabriel and Sanders. The team drafted Gabriel with the 94th overall pick, one of four signal-callers brought in during the offseason. Sanders, also a rookie, is making his case with each start, even if the results haven’t yet translated into wins.
The Browns’ 2025 season might not end in a playoff berth, but these final five games will go a long way in shaping the quarterback conversation heading into 2026. Whether it’s Sanders, Gabriel, or someone else entirely, Cleveland is still searching for long-term stability at the game’s most important position.
For now, all eyes are on Sunday. A bounce-back performance against Tennessee could quiet some of the noise-on and off the field.