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The Cleveland Browns suffered a 31-7 loss against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday afternoon. For the second consecutive game, the final score wasn’t indicative of how the key personnel performed, however.
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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was still competing for the No. 1 job at the time, performed admirably, and many feel he did enough to win the job. However, Deshaun Watson was tabbed as the starting quarterback by first-year head coach Todd Monken on Monday. Neither Watson nor Sanders will play in Thursday’s game, however, but there are still a ton of storylines to follow in the preseason finale.
Heated Battle for No. 3 Quarterback Job
First off, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the team’s third-round pick out of Oregon in 2025, is in a knockdown, drag out fight for the No. 3 job with 2026 NFL Draft pick Taylen Green. The latter was selected in the sixth round from Arkansas.
Gabriel appeared in 10 games as a rookie, and he started several games, including a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. In fact, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to start his first game outside of the United States. Meanwhile, Green has yet to appear in a preseason game, but the dual-threat option has been flashing in training camp when given the reps.
Green is a real threat to Gabriel’s job security, and if Thursday’s game goes well for the rookie, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gabriel traded for a future pick or some other form of compensation.
Cedric Tillman Might be Done in Cleveland
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has a shot to play in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Patriots. He has been sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, but he was able to return to practice this week. It appears Tillman is trending toward playing, and he might be playing for a spot on the 53-man roster. Who said preseason football games don’t matter?
There is a possibility that Tillman is traded for a draft pick if he doesn’t make the team. He is battling Isaiah Bond, Malachi Corley, Gage Larvadain and Tylan Wallace for a receiver job. The one thing each of those four have in common is that they can either play special teams or shine in the return game, something Tillman doesn’t do.
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There are rumors Tillman could, potentially, reunite with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski with the Atlanta Falcons. Stefanski was head coach in 2023 when Tillman was drafted, and the team went 11-6.
Isaiah Bond in Concussion Protocol
Bond is in the concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the second quarter of the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. He has been unable to practice this week, and Monken confirmed Bond is in the protocol.
Bond ‘should’ be safe for a spot on the 53-man roster despite the fact it appears he won’t play Thursday, but it could be a slight opening for Tillman to make his final case.
Ahmani Marshall, Davon Booth in Battle for Job
Running back Davon Booth, an undrafted free agent from Mississippi State, is making a legitimate run at a spot on the 53-man roster.
In the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, Booth rushed four times for a game-high 53 yards, including a 28-yard run. He followed that up with 16 rushing yards on three carries against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday. If he can average anything close to 5.3 yards per carry, he is going to have a future.
The Browns have running back Quinshon Judkins at the top of the depth chart, followed by Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders. Booth’s biggest competition is likely Ahmani Marshall, both for a spot on the 53-man roster and/or a spot on the practice squad.
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This story was originally published August 25, 2026 at 8:48 PM.