Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Dillon Gabriel

Thursday, August 14, 12:30 PM

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said early in training camp that backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would not play in the preseason this year, so it might be Stetson Bennett once again taking the majority of the snaps under center for the second week of the preseason on Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Matthew Stafford (back) has still yet to practice during training camp, and Dresser Winn is the only other QB on th roster. The Rams are optimistic that Stafford will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but it makes sense for them to keep Jimmy G on ice during the preseason as an insurance policy in case Stafford isn't ready. The 31-year-old has reportedly looked strong running the first-team offense in Stafford's absence this summer, and he'd become a low-end QB2 option in superflex fantasy leagues if Stafford misses time to begin the 2025 season.

Saturday, August 30, 7:40 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has "gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff just in terms of how he worked, and we feel good about it," assistant general manager Glenn Cook said. After setting a college football record with 63 starts over six seasons divided among Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, the third-round pick impressed the Browns' coaches enough to beat out fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders and now-Las Vegas Raider Kenny Pickett for the backup QB job. The new role doesn't faze Gabriel, who told Zac Jackson of The Athletic: "It's not daunting. I have ultimate confidence in myself and who I am." Gabriel looked decent in two preseason games, going 25-for-37 for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him starting at some point in 2025. The only real roadblock is 40-year-old starter Joe Flacco, a stopgap who has played in nine or fewer games in seven straight seasons.