Browns will begin rookie quarterback after Joe Flacco is sidelined.

Quarterback Changes in the NFL

For the second consecutive week, an NFL team has opted to bench a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback to make way for a rookie.

Last week, the New York Giants decided to sideline Russell Wilson and put their faith in Jackson Dirt, their first-round pick from Mississippi. Dirt’s NFL debut resulted in a win, as he completed passes for 13 yards, scored a touchdown, and rushed for 111 yards, leading the Giants to a surprising victory over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers.

Now, the Cleveland Browns appear to be seeking similar results with Dillion Gabriel.

After much speculation, the Browns have benched veteran Joe Flacco, instead turning to a third-round choice from the 2025 NFL Draft. Flacco managed to secure Cleveland’s only victory of the season against the Green Bay Packers, but his overall impact on the offense has been minimal.

This season, Flacco completed only 58.1% of his passes, throwing more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (2). In a disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions last week, he completed 16 of 34 passes for 184 yards, without a touchdown and two interceptions.

Following that defeat, Cleveland’s head coach, Kevin Stefanski, dismissed the idea of changing quarterbacks, emphasizing that the problem lay with the entire offense. “That’s not our focus,” he stated. “We didn’t do enough with the attack.”

The two interceptions thrown by Flacco against Detroit deserve some context. The first occurred during a play where receiver Cedric Tillman ran a quick hitch route. However, Flacco seemed to expect Tillman to continue his route vertically, which led to confusion.

In the second incident, Flacco targeted Jerry Jeudy, who stumbled during his break, allowing a cornerback to intercept the pass.

As the Browns look to ignite their offense, Stefanski must believe Gabriel has the potential to offer something different.

During the preseason, Gabriel completed 25 of 37 passes (a 67.6% completion rate) for 272 yards and a touchdown. In limited regular-season action, he went 3 for 4 for 19 yards, with a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during a mop-up scenario.