Dillon Gabriel throws first NFL touchdown in Browns' preseason finale vs. Rams

In the Cleveland Browns’ preseason finale, Dillon Gabriel recorded a personal milestone. He threw his first NFL touchdown.

Gabriel ran a textbook two-minute drill as time ticked away in the first half and found Gage Larvadian for the three-yard touchdown. He took over in the second quarter of the game after Joe Flacco got the start in the final preseason matchup.

It continues a strong preseason for Gabriel, whom the Browns selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. All told, he went 12-for-19 for 129 yards and a touchdown over two first-half drives on Saturday.

Dillon Gabriel runs the 2-minute drill to perfection and gets the @Browns a touchdown before the end of the half

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— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025

Gabriel is part of a crowded Cleveland quarterback room this year – though one with a new look. The Browns signed Flacco in free agency and acquired Kenny Pickett. Then, they not only drafted Gabriel, but also took Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

That created questions about how many quarterbacks Cleveland would carry on the roster. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported while the franchise is still making things final, both rookies are expected to stay past Tuesday’s cut deadline. The biggest question, Fowler said, is Pickett.

“They’re close to finalizing their plans in the quarterback room,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “They could keep four quarterbacks, but today could be a determining factor, depending on how it goes with the rookies. Joe Flacco will get some reps. They’re thinking 20 to 25 reps for the starters in the third preseason game, and then you go to Dillon Gabriel to get the second crack at it, the rookie third round pick, and then you got Shedeur Sanders. He will get some run. 

“Kenny Pickett’s still hurt, so he’s somewhere in this equation, but he’s been banged up for really the last month. So the question is, do the Browns carry him on the roster? (Do they) maybe put him on short term IR give him four weeks to start the season? But the feeling right now is they like how Gabriel and Sanders are developing. I don’t expect them to trade either one. They’re going to roll through the weekend, see what these guys can do, they like what they’re doing.”

The Browns are making their final preparations for the season opener, scheduled for Sept. 7. They will kick things off against the Cincinnati Bengals.