Who Should I Start? Dillon Gabriel or Spencer Rattler

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).

Sunday, January 4, 11:57 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (right finger) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the wrong direction after missing all three practices this past week. The 25-year-old has been operating as the backup quarterback behind Tyler Shough ever since Week 9. As a result, Shough remains the starter for Sunday's regular-season finale while Jake Haener steps into the backup role. Haener hasn't played an offensive snap this year, but he did complete 18 of 39 pass attempts for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in 2024. Haener and Taysom Hill would be candidates to earn quarterback snaps if Shough leaves the game for any reason.