As of the first Monday of August, there was no indication that 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel or 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders had any real chance to emerge as the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback.
During a Monday morning appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns reporter Daryl Ruiter offered quite a worrisome update regarding how Gabriel has looked during training camp practices.
“He’s not good,” Ruiter said about Gabriel. “He’s not an NFL quarterback. Not right now, and the fact that they keep running him out there for first-team reps…they’re cramming this guy down our throats, and it’s not good.”
Numerous NFL analysts viewed Gabriel as a third-day selection before the Browns made him the 94th overall pick of this year’s draft. The perception up until Sanders was held out of Saturday’s practice due to arm soreness was that he has been the team’s fourth-choice option at the position behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.
All signs are reportedly pointing to Flacco getting the start for Cleveland’s Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.
Gabriel is listed at 5-foot-11, but some who cover the team have expressed doubts about that measurement. It seems that a lack of desirable size for playing the position in the pros isn’t all that’s gone against Gabriel this summer.
“It’s not a height thing,” Ruiter continued. “It’s not personal. He’s rolling out and can’t hit guys who are wide open. He’s not all that great, at times, in the warmup periods. …He’s just not a good quarterback.”
Ruiter said that he feels Gabriel “has no business being in contention to start a football game” for the Browns this season.
“It’s god awful when he’s on the field,” Ruiter added.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed in late July that he could stash all four active quarterbacks on the roster for at least Week 1. For an article published on Sunday night, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that there’s “zero chance” either Gabriel or Sanders will be cut this summer.
Perhaps Gabriel will look better when he sees some action in Cleveland’s preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. That said, it sounds like fans should keep their expectations low for Gabriel’s unofficial debut this coming Friday.
