Who Should I Start? Malik Willis or Dillon Gabriel

Tuesday, August 19, 12:31 PM

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that backup quarterback Malik Willis will play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Packers also plan on playing some or most of their starters, at least for a little bit. We would be surprised if starting QB Jordan Love (thumb) plays this weekend after having a minor surgery on his left (non-throwing) thumb last week. The 26-year-old Willis went 6-for-14 for 83 yards on the first three possessions of the second preseason game last weekend against the Indianapolis Colts. Love is fully expected to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September, so Willis is primed to open the season as Green Bay's backup signal-caller. The former third-rounder by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 played in seven games in his first year with the Packers in 2024 and led the team to two wins with Love sidelined by injury.

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.