Who Should I Start? Dillon Gabriel or Michael Penix Jr.

Sunday, December 28, 11:49 AM

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel (shoulder) injured his left shoulder at some point during the week and has been ruled out for the Week 17 divisional clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. With Gabriel inactive, Bailey Zappe has been elevated to the 53-man active roster from the practice squad and will serve as rookie Shedeur Sanders' backup this weekend. The 25-year-old Gabriel ended up making six starts for Cleveland in his first year in the NFL in 2025, but he was largely mediocre while failing to push the ball downfield. Gabriel's reign as the team's starting QB ended in Week 11 when he suffered a concussion, opening the door for Sanders to take over. In his six starts, the Oregon product completed 58.9% of his passes for 918 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions while adding 86 rushing yards. Gabriel is expected to compete for the starting gig next year with Sanders and Deshaun Watson (Achilles).

Friday, February 6, 7:48 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) said on the Up & Adams Show on Friday that his recovery from knee surgery is a "little bit" ahead of schedule. Penix suffered a torn left ACL in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, but he's hoping he'll be ready to roll for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. The 25-year-old has already recovered from two ACL tears in his right knee in college, so he's pretty familiar with the rehab process. He's been attacking his rehab diligently since having surgery on Nov. 25, but there's no guarantee that Penix will be ready for Week 1, making him an extremely volatile QB2 target in fantasy football drafts this fall. Before his knee injury, the former eighth overall pick out of Washington was extremely inconsistent in nine starts in his first year as the full-time starter, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine TDs, and three picks.