BEREA, Ohio -- For the second consecutive season, the Browns are 2-6. And Cleveland enters its Week 9 bye on the heels of another anemic offensive performance in a 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots. That defeat has added to the many questions surrounding the Browns' quarterback situation, which includes rookies Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson.
Gabriel, who took over for the benched and since-traded Joe Flacco at the beginning of October, just completed his fourth NFL start. But in a month with the 2025 No. 94 pick at the helm, Cleveland's offense hasn't looked markedly different, averaging 17.5 points in Gabriel's four starts compared to 14 points in Flacco's four starts.
Despite Gabriel throwing two interceptions against New England and posting the second-lowest Total QBR (25.8) in the NFL -- above only Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward -- Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he would stick with the 24-year-old for the team's Week 10 road game against the New York Jets (Nov. 9, 1 p.m., CBS).
Meanwhile, Sanders, who was inactive last Sunday because of a back injury, awaits his opportunity during a regular-season game. Watson, who has spent the first half of the season on the physically unable to perform list, continues to rehab his Achilles injury. And Bailey Zappe, who served as QB2 against the Patriots in Sanders' place, remains on the practice squad.
Here's what you need to know about the Browns' quarterback situation with nine regular-season games to go.
Why is Stefanski sticking with Gabriel?
Stefanski said he would "look at everything" shortly after the Browns' Week 8 loss in Foxborough, Massachusetts. But when asked about the quarterback situation, he said he would continue to stick with Gabriel, who has completed 59.9% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
"When I say look at everything, when you lose like this, you have to look at everything," Stefanski said after the game. "Every position, everything I'm doing. It's frustrating for where we are as a team. Every position you have to look at. But let me say that with a young quarterback, you understand there's going to be ups and downs."
Stefanski, who did not rule out giving up playcalling duties after the bye, again explained the decision to stick with Gabriel on Monday, saying he was looking at ways to improve the entire offense.
"Dillon will continue to learn, will continue to get better, but it's really an entire offensive type of thing where we all need to better," Stefanski said.
Issues for the Browns' offense haven't been limited to the quarterback position. Cleveland ranks 19th in ESPN's run block win rate metric and 26th in pass block win rate. The offensive line has used seven starting combinations in eight games, and five players have logged a snap at tackle.
The Browns' pass catchers have also struggled. Cleveland's 13 drops are the third most in the league. And the team's top four targeted players -- Jerry Jeudy, Harold Fannin Jr., David Njoku and Isaiah Bond -- all rank in the bottom 10 of ESPN's receiver scores, which assesses receiver performance in getting open, contesting and making the catch, and generating yards after the catch.
"We have confidence in Dillon to keep improving," Browns left guard Joel Bitonio said Monday. "He's had four games, he's had some tough matchups and we want the offense to continue to grow. It's not a one-person issue at times, so we want to give our quarterbacks a chance, and I think this bye week gives him a chance to reset, is going to be good for his growth.
"For a young guy in this league, four games is so minuscule on a big platform, so we have to give him a chance to adjust and to see what he likes. I think going back, rewatching these games and being like, 'What plays were we successful with on offense? What does he like? How does he like to move in the pocket? Where does he like to set up?' All those things are still questions that we have to answer. "
When could we see Sanders play?
Sanders had served as the backup to Gabriel in the two games (against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins) that preceded the back injury that forced him to be inactive in Week 9.
"He obviously came in Saturday with his back injury," Stefanski said Monday. "We were hopeful that he'd be able to move around well enough to suit up on Sunday. But, put him through a pregame warmup, and obviously just didn't feel like he was ready to play ... but he's getting better every day and I'm hopeful that he'll continue to improve."
Sanders, the No. 144 pick in this year's draft, said after the game that it wasn't his choice to be inactive but that he would be "good" healthwise after the bye.
This week, while speaking on a live stream, Sanders said he would stay in Cleveland during the bye to continue receiving treatment on his back and "get ready."
When asked about a potential change to Sanders at quarterback, Stefanski on Monday said, "Honestly, my focus is where we are right now. ... That's not my focus."
Sanders has been in the QB2 role, but Stefanski said he has not received reps with the starting unit, the way Gabriel did when Flacco was the starter for the Browns' first four games.
"With a young quarterback, with Dillon starting, you want to make sure he gets a lot of reps," Stefanski said. "Different when you have a veteran like Joe, but still getting reps in a bunch of periods."
But Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have reiterated Sanders is getting reps in alternative ways.
"There's a lot of walk-through reps that go around, there's a lot of learning opportunities that go around, there's reps built into practice that are still game-plan reps that might not be with the first group all the time," Rees said. "So, definitely using all the resources we have to make sure that we maximize it."
But the question regarding when Sanders will play appears to be a matter of if, not when, with nine games left. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said at the beginning of training camp that it was important to see both rookie quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, when the Browns currently hold two first-round picks -- their own and the one obtained from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"He's working hard and really learning by the day, by the week," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said of the former Colorado quarterback. "He's doing a nice job of getting the most out of each and every day and feeling more comfortable with the system."
Will Watson play at all this season?
The Browns haven't provided an update on Watson's status since saying in January that he would "likely miss significant time during the 2025 season" after a second surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon.
ESPN's Adam Schefter, speaking during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Oct. 13, said Watson was "a good month away from being cleared for any football activity."
Over the past few months, Watson has posted videos of himself throwing and moving on his repaired Achilles, but an exact timetable for a return still remains unclear. He has been involved in meetings with the other quarterbacks and has been a veteran presence for the team's position room, according to Musgrave.
Watson has one year left on the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that he signed upon being traded from the Houston Texans in March 2022. The Browns owe Watson $46 million in cash in the 2026 season.
If Watson is medically cleared and ready to return to football activities, the Browns could open his practice window. Watson would then have 21 days to practice until the Browns would have to decide on activating him to the 53-man roster or sidelining him for the rest of the season.
"He's definitely been through a lot," Musgrave said. "I know he wants to play a lot of football again. He feels like he's got a lot of tread left on his tires."