When the Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski, who served as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2020 to 2025, many Cleveland fans joked that Stefanski should take quarterback Dillon Gabriel with him. Because of how things unfolded for the Browns last season, a lot of people in Cleveland believe Atlanta’s head coach has a special affinity for Gabriel.
Whether that’s true or not, one thing is clear: it would make a lot of sense for the Falcons and the Browns if they got a trade done for the young quarterback. Of course, Atlanta’s two deep at quarterback is set with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, but adding Gabriel to the QB room could make sense for multiple reasons.
Falcons should explore a trade for Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel
Let’s start in Cleveland; it’s already clear Gabriel is no longer in the Browns’ QB plans. Stefanski’s former team is conducting a quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, and as a result, Gabriel is barely getting reps in practice. On Tuesday, during the Browns’ first day of mandatory minicamp, the young quarterback attempted just four passes, and they came in 7-on-7 drills.
Beyond that, after Cleveland acquired Jared Verse in the Myles Garrett trade, Verse and Gabriel were both wearing a No. 8 jersey in their first practice together. While Gabriel has since switched to No. 6, the number of injured linebackerJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, many people believe this is a sign that the quarterback’s time with the team is expiring.
The Falcons should help that end arrive sooner by trading for the young QB. Adding Gabriel is by no means a necessity for Atlanta, but it’s a move that could be beneficial. He’d be a QB3 with more intrigue than Trevor Siemian or Jack Strand, and considering the health history of Penix and Tagovailoa, Atlanta’s QB3 could be called on in 2026.
Additionally, Gabriel is a left-handed quarterback just like Penix and Tagovailoa, so the Falcons would be able to have a three deep with everything being built for left-hand QBs. Gabriel also has familiarity with Stefanski’s system, so that’s a plus.
The final reason adding Gabriel would make sense is that he could be the QB2 of the future. Tagovailoa is only signed for a year, and he could be moving on from Atlanta after the 2026 season. Gabriel, on the other hand, could be acquired and serve as the backup for the next few years.
Of course, Atlanta could just wait on Gabriel to eventually be cut, then the Falcons can claim him on waivers or sign him as a free agent. But, if the team just wants to get the ball rolling and get the young QB in the building, Atlanta could send a late-round pick to acquire Dillon Gabriel.
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