Quarterback stability has never really been the Cleveland Browns’ brand. This year, once again, history repeats itself, with Dillon Gabriel being on the receiving end of uncertainty in the QB room. He delivered one of his best performances of the preseason, only to hear his head coach, Todd Monken, give his blunt take on roster cuts in the QB room.

“That’s why we played both of them, right? That’s why we played them to try and help us a little bit in terms of where we’re at from a roster standpoint,” Todd Monken said. “So we got a lot to talk about because I thought they both did some really good things. I really think the way they played was how I thought they’d play, right?” 

The comments made during the post-game presser after the Browns’ 37-13 win over the New England Patriots made it clear that the Browns could be looking at trimming their quarterback room. After third-stringer Gabriel and sixth-round rookie Green’s preseason performance that decision probably has become a lot harder.

“Dillon really within himself, very poised. And then Taylen was gonna have some splash plays, some plays where you get him on the perimeter and he uses athleticism as you keep working to refine his throwing ability, not throwing, but his passing, right?” he added. “So again, it was fun to watch him play, but just like every position, we’re gonna have to cut it down, that’s just, we can’t keep everybody.”

Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone, finishing the night with a passer rating of 157.9, by far the most efficient performance any Browns quarterback has turned in this preseason. It was Gabriel’s first extended action of the summer, and he made the most of it, operating with precision behind an offense that clicked far more consistently than it had in the Browns’ first two exhibition games.

Green, for his part, gave the coaching staff plenty to like as well, even if his outing looked different on paper. The sixth-round rookie leaned on his athleticism to create explosive plays outside the pocket, continuing a trend from his previous appearance against the Buffalo Bills, where he’d already shown flashes of the playmaking ability that made him a four-year starter in college between Boise State and Arkansas. 

As the head coach’s comments surfaced on the web, speculation around a potential trade for Dillon Gabriel is also on the table, according to NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler. 

“Very real chance the Browns keep three QBs,” Jeremy Fowler wrote on X while praising the QB for three quick touchdown passes. “Gabriel could serve as the three or would likely have interest elsewhere if traded or released.”

Now if the Browns decide to move on from Gabriel, there is a very real chance that he might get picked up soon, simply because of his ability and potential. He had a stellar stint in college and came into the NFL as a highly touted QB. However, the situation in Cleveland last season was not ideal for any rookie QB, and although he did start over Sanders for a few games, things did not go as planned.

With Deshaun Watson locked in as the Week 1 starter, Gabriel’s own path forward remains anything but settled, caught between a roster spot he’s clearly playing well enough to keep his position. But the head coach has already made it clear that not everyone in that quarterback room is sticking around. Will it be Gabriel who goes, or Green will be revealed soon.