The Dawg Pound isn’t happy with the way things have turned out in Cleveland. And it’s not recent. You can feel it on the street, see it on social media, and hear it echoing in the stadium. Frustration, bordering on a mutiny, over the Browns’ never-ending search for stability under center. For many, that tension hit its ugliest moment last season, when the crowd’s cheer at Deshaun Watson’s injury was as much a verdict on the regime’s choices as it was on the starter himself. Now, the city doesn’t want to see another parade of aging stopgap vets buying time. But who wins in a rookie room featuring the cannon-armed Shedeur Sanders and the higher-drafted, methodical Dillon Gabriel?
As far as the starting role is concerned, analysts and insiders are torn between Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. But behind Flacco’s 2023 glory and Pickett’s Steel City hype, the stakes are higher for the two rookies fighting for a clear spot on the roster. Through the last few months, Dillon Gabriel got the most reps out of anyone. He even clocked in some time with the First Team. As for Shedeur Sanders, the team left him to ball with the secondaries. But he still managed to impress everyone and continued to win over the locker room. But as the training camp begins now for the Browns rookies, CBS’s Bryant McFadden believes Gabriel might have the shot to overshadow Sanders because of the NFL’s dynamics.
In conversation with Jordan Giorgio, on CBS Sports HQ, McFadden noted Gabriel has an edge over Sanders. “Well, when you look at Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, I think the slight edge goes to Dillion Gabriel because he was the higher drafted player. And usually that’s the case when you’re the higher drafted player, Jordan. You get the reps, you get the opportunities… That’s just the name of the game, the unwritten rule in the National Football League.” For Gabriel, that unwritten rule is more than just tradition – it’s his path to the huddle. While both rookie QBs arrived in Cleveland with hype, prestige, and college accolades, it’s Gabriel’s draft status that positions him quite literally in front of Sanders as camp opens. The higher the pick, the earlier the rep; that’s not just logic, it’s dogma within NFL circles.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 12, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel 5 and quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250612_kab_bk4_008
For years, the franchise has bounced between silver-bullet saviors and late-camp dark horses. Here, at least, the initial signal is clear. Gabriel gets the stage to open Stefanski’s playbook behind the vets and orchestrate the Browns’ brand-new start. And let’s face it, this was already in the works since the Draft. This was the guy that HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry chose to be part of their franchise. In contrast, Sanders was reportedly added by owner Jimmy Haslam’s influence. But does it mean the battle’s over for Sanders even before his first snap on the gridiron? History’s precedents suggest there’s still a lot of drama left in the play.
End of the road for Shedeur Sanders? Not yet.
Throughout the OTAs and minicamps, Shedeur Sanders has been quietly earning brownie points with the franchise. Last to leave the field, becoming a sponge to absorb everything he can from the veterans. He was also throwing the most accurate passes throughout the offseason with consistency. Even Deshaun Watson – the once promised starter in Cleveland – has now taken Sanders under his wing to help him jump the ropes faster.
Gabriel may have the edge, but Sanders isn’t hanging up his helmet just yet. While everyone else was enjoying the 4th of July weekend, Sanders put on his helmet and threw darts in the rain, instead. He chose the grind to familiarize to Cleveland’s unforgiving weather. He’s even got the Sanders fam backing him up, and McFadden isn’t counting him out yet.
As McFadden doubled down, Gabriel will have the edge because of his draft position. “But that doesn’t mean anything because we’ve seen other players throughout the National Football League come into training camp further down in the depth chart, but because of really sound, productive play, they work their way up the depth chart. And I can see that easily happening for Shedeur Sanders.” The inherent drama of the QB battle in Cleveland is that nothing is truly set in stone.
History is full of QBs who became pro in the shadows who rose quickly. Think Russell Wilson leapfrogging Matt Flynn, or, for the diehards, Tom Brady emerging from sixth-round obscurity. Even the once Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy now shines as a leader for his franchise as QB1.
If Gabriel struggles under pressure… Or the pro football outplays him… His job won’t be safe. The path from early reps to Week 1 is wide open for shakeups, surges, and surprise heroes. Can he hold Stefanski’s trust? Or will Sanders’ play and offseason buzz force the staff to pivot? In Cleveland, even the unwritten rules can change by opening day.
The post Dillon Gabriel Puts Shedeur Sanders on Backseat as Kevin Stefanski’s Chosen Browns QB, says Insider appeared first on EssentiallySports.