Rookie Dillon Gabriel will get his first NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The Browns announced on Wednesday that they were benching Joe Flacco after he struggled to lead the offense in the first four games.

Cleveland is 1-3 and ranked next-to-last in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. The team has scored 17 points or fewer in nine straight games dating back to last season. Gabriel will be the fifth different starting QB in 10 games, joining Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe and Flacco.

Gabriel was selected in the third round of April’s draft. He has seen action in two games — Week 2 at Baltimore and Week 4 at Detroit — and has completed all three of his passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. He was named the backup quarterback at the end of training camp after the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders.

During the preseason, Gabriel led the Browns to either a touchdown or field goal on five of his seven drives. He also directed a pair of two-minute, first-half drives against the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams..

NHL

Bloomington native Johnson retiring

Defenseman Erik Johnson announced his retirement Wednesday after a 17-year career that was highlighted by a 2022 Stanley Cup title with the Colorado Avalanche.

Picked No. 1 in the 2006 NHL draft by St. Louis, Johnson was traded to the Avalanche as part of a blockbuster deal in 2011. He played in 1,023 regular-season games with the Blues, Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. He finished with 95 goals, 253 assists, 1,717 blocks and 1,695 hits.

The 37-year-old Johnson has long been a fan favorite in Denver, where he spent 14 of his 17 seasons. His most iconic moment, though, may have taken place away from the ice. He led the crowd in the singing of “All the Small Things,” by Blink-182 after the parade to celebrate Colorado hoisting the Stanley Cup. It was the theme song that season.

The player known as “EJ” is first in franchise history in blocked shots (1,373) and third in hits (1,288) among defensemen. The Bloomington native leaves the NHL rink 25th on the most games played list among American-born defenseman in league history.

PWHL

Frost unveil their 2025-26 schedule

The Minnesota Frost on Wednesday released the schedule for their third PWHL season. Defense of their second straight Walter Cup title begins Nov. 21 at Grand Casino Arena when they play host to Toronto at 6 p.m.

The Nov. 21 opener will feature a championship banner-raising ceremony to begin a 30-game regular-season schedule against seven league opponents that runs through April 25.

The PWHL added franchises in Vancouver, B.C., and Seattle this offseason. The Frost will be Seattle’s first home opponent on Nov. 28 at Climate Pledge Arena. They will play at last year’s runner-up Ottawa on Dec. 2.

Minnesota is scheduled for three neutral site games that will be announced at a future date. For a full schedule, go to the team’s web site https://www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/minnesota-frost ..

Baseball

Braves manager Snitker is stepping down

Brian Snitker, who managed the Atlanta Braves to the 2021 World Series championship as the highlight of almost a half-century with the organization, will not return to the dugout next season.

The Braves announced the 69-year-old Snitker will be inducted into the team’s hall of fame next year.

Snitker has been with the organization for 49 years as a minor league player and manager and major league coach and manager.

Snitker led Atlanta to 811 wins, six NL East division titles, one wild-card berth and the 2021 World Series championship in his 10 seasons as manager.

Briefly

NFL >> Quarterback Brock Purdy will miss his third game of the season for the San Francisco 49ers because of an injury to his toe. Purdy missed games in Week 2 and 3 with the injured toe before returning this past Sunday against Jacksonville. He came out of that game with more soreness and will be unable to play Thursday night on a short week against the Los Angeles Rams.

NFL >> The Arizona Cardinals have placed running back Trey Benson on injured reserve because of a knee injury, putting another dent into the team’s backfield depth.

Baseball >> Colorado general manager Bill Schmidt is stepping down. The Rockies finished 43-119 this season, narrowly avoiding the distinction of being the worst team since baseball adopted a 162-game schedule in 1961. The mark still belongs to the 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121).

NBA >> Houston forward Dorian Finney-Smith is expected to miss the start of the NBA season while recovering from off-season ankle surgery.

Tennis >> Jannik Sinner won the China Open by beating American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the final in Beijing to continue his preparations for the Shanghai Masters.

— From news services