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Browns Turn to Rookie Dillon Gabriel as Week 5 Starter in London

Cleveland demotes Joe Flacco and keeps Shedeur Sanders as QB3 to speed its evaluation of young quarterbacks after a 1-3 start.

Overview

  • The team announced Gabriel will start Sunday against the Vikings in London, with Flacco as the backup and Sanders designated the emergency third quarterback.
  • Gabriel has logged limited duty this season, going 3-for-3 for 19 yards and a touchdown, and his overseas debut was reported as the first NFL starting debut held outside the United States.
  • Flacco was benched after four games in which he posted 815 passing yards with two touchdowns, six interceptions and a league-high eight turnovers during the 1-3 opening.
  • Sanders declined to speak about the depth-chart decision and instead pantomimed answers in the locker room, drawing criticism from former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
  • Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Gabriel has prepared and is ready to start, while former Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III claimed the locker room prefers Sanders.