The Browns are in desperate need of a spark on offense this season, and they think rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will give them one.
Cleveland announced Wednesday that Gabriel will be the starting quarterback in Week 5's London game against the Vikings on Sunday. The move comes after the Browns trudged to a 1-3 start and are ranked at the bottom of several offensive categories across four weeks, averaging just 14 points per game this season.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media about giving the fifth-round rookie his first career start, noting that the quarterback change was entirely his decision. Stefanski chose to keep the conversation between him and Flacco private regarding the benching, but did praise the veteran's leadership.
"This is not about one person. Joe was an elected captain of this football team for a reason. We believe in his leadership, he's going to be the same exact guy he always is which I really appreciate," Stefanski said.
He added that this decision was "best for the football team."
When probed why he was making this decision now, Stefanski said, "I think the big thing for me is we need to all be better. We need to coach better. We need to block better, catch better, run better, all of the above. I know the quarterback position gets quite a bit of scrutiny, I understand that, but this is about our entire team."
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski on the quarterback change from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel: pic.twitter.com/zcQuk9XnUW
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) October 1, 2025
Stefanski declined to say that Flacco's turnovers (six through four games) played a part in his decision to bench the 40-year-old and reiterated the team's need to "be better."
As for Gabriel's upcoming start, the Browns coach elaborated on how the rookie quarterback was well-prepared for the role.
"From the second he’s been here, he’s been working very hard," said Stefanski. "He’s a very intelligent young man. He’s done a nice job throughout practice and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter."
For a somewhat unbelievable stat, Gabriel will be the 41st different starting quarterback for the Browns dating back to 1999, and the 12th under Stefanski. The Browns (1-3) and Vikings (2-2) will face off in London on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Browns' Kevin Stefanski Explains Why He Benched Joe Flacco for Dillon Gabriel.
