Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Dillon Gabriel

Monday, August 18, 11:41 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins will not play in the team's preseason finale on Friday against the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Neither of the team's top two signal-callers has played at all in preseason action. Easton Stick has been Atlanta's most-used quarterback through the team's first two preseason games and figures to get most of the reps against Dallas. With fourth-stringer Emory Jones (head) in concussion protocol, Schefter reports that the team has signed quarterback Ben DiNucci.

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.