The days of NFL teams carrying four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster are long gone. Doing so almost always signals an impending move, like a deactivation to injured reserve or a trade.
There’s some buzz building around the Cleveland Browns being the exception to that rule in 2026.
The Browns have a unique situation at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson is a veteran the team has invested heavily in, to the point where his contract situation has him locked onto this year's roster. They also have three young QB prospects drafted within the past 15 months.
The default expectation is that Cleveland will either waive sixth-round rookie Taylen Green with an eye on signing him back to the practice squad, or explore a trade of 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel.
Browns GM Andrew Berry reiterated once again that keeping both players — along with Watson and Shedeur Sanders — is still very much in play.
“I am,” Berry said to that exact question. “I think you’ve heard me say it’s the most valuable position, and look, they’ve got to earn it. It’s not a situation where guys are on scholarship in terms of a roster spot. So, we’ll see. I don’t think you can be prescriptive at the beginning of camp, because things are going to surprise you in both directions. Injuries are going to pop up, opportunities that you don’t foresee on July 31 may show up on August 31. So, we try to maintain as much flexibility as possible.”
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel could alter Cleveland’s 2026 roster math
Gabriel remains the clear wild card in the Browns’ QB room. A team like the Atlanta Falcons, who have the familiar Kevin Stefanski as head coach and uncertain depth chart of their own, makes a lot of sense as a potential trade partner.
But Cleveland’s ongoing battle between Watson and Sanders for the Week 1 starting job may go down to the wire this summer, and as it stands, Gabriel is the clear No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.
According to Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Gabriel has continued to stack solid practices since training camp started on July 29. He opened the spring firmly behind Sanders in the pecking order, which naturally led to trade speculation. But he reportedly gained some positive momentum during the team’s mandatory minicamp in June, to the point where Green has been a distant fourth in terms of practice reps.
Of the Browns' most likely options to go from three to four quarterbacks by Week 1, waiving Green feels like the least likely option. Cleveland used the first pick of the sixth round to select Green, knowing full well that he could need a year or two to develop his skills as a potential elite two-way threat in the NFL.
A potential Gabriel trade remains the most viable option, and speculation would almost certainly pick up steam again if he performs well in training camp. Berry did use the word "flexibility" in his response, and crunching the roster with an extra quarterback would obviously make the roster less flexible.
But if Gabriel continues to earn the No. 3 job going away this summer, keeping him isn’t as far-fetched as it seemed back in March.
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