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The Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback competition ramped up Saturday.
After the team took Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April, coaches have gotten to see what each looks like in game action.
Gabriel made his preseason debut Saturday after Sanders made his last week.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns’ training complex May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
But Gabriel injected some online conversation into the competition with a comment during his first preseason game Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“There’s entertainers and there’s competitors. And I totally understand that, and my job is to compete. And that’s what I’m focused on doing,” Gabriel said.
After the game, Gabriel told reporters he was referring to the media members as entertainers.
“All you in this room are entertainers,” Gabriel said. “You have a job to do, and I respect it. Right? And I’m a competitor, so I have a job to do as well.”
EX-NBA PLAYER MAKES SHEDEUR SANDERS-LEBRON JAMES COMPARISON AFTER QB’S PRESEASON DEBUT
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns’ training complex May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Imagn)
The NFL posted the clip of Gabriel’s original quote without including the question that was asked. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer claimed in a post on X that the question was about how the Browns quarterbacks are “trying to make sure the outside noise doesn’t infiltrate what’s going on internally.”
Footage of Gabriel’s quotes, without the question, circulated across social media with many critics assuming the quarterback was taking a shot at Sanders, who is known for his high-visibility public persona, immense media attention and his NFL Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders’ boastful reputation.
Gabriel finished his preseason debut completing 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Gabriel turned the ball over a second time when he fumbled on a bad snap.
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Shedeur Sanders (12) and Dillon Gabriel (5) of the Cleveland Browns throw passes during Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus June 11, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
By comparison, Sanders finished with 138 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in his preseason debut Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers.
Gabriel is listed ahead of Sanders on the Browns’ depth chart. Veteran Joe Flacco is listed as the starter with young veteran Kenny Pickett as the first backup. Gabriel is listed third, while Sanders is the fourth and final quarterback on the depth chart.
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