Dillon Gabriel knew the spotlight was coming, but nothing could have prepared him for this much scrutiny before playing a snap. It’s supposed to be the honeymoon for new NFL draft picks, not a week of dissecting your every move and even the inches in your measurement. Gabriel entered the Cleveland Browns’ locker room as a third-rounder, already catching more heat than most. But when the Browns picked Shedeur Sanders two rounds later, every camp rep became a talking point, and the questions about Gabriel’s height just got louder.
How Will Dillon Gabriel’s Height Factor Into the Cleveland Browns’ Quarterback Battle?
Gabriel tackled the subject of his size head-on during an appearance with Aditi Kinkhabwala on NFL on CBS. When asked if he’s bothered by talk about his height, Gabriel answered, “It’s no response. I think a lot of people make something out of it, but the truth is, the game of football, many people have done it.
Different shapes and sizes, all from different areas. The ultimate team game,” Gabriel said. “There’s a bunch of quarterbacks who are playing in the league that are playing at elite level that are maybe similar heights.”
“It’s no response … there’s a bunch of quarterbacks that are playing at elite level that are maybe similar heights.”
Dillon Gabriel’s response to those who talk about his height.@AKinkhabwala pic.twitter.com/ZkTAg0mO0T
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) August 4, 2025
Still, the Browns’ quarterback room is getting thinner in camp. On Monday, Gabriel was limited in team drills due to hamstring tightness, picking up the injury during Saturday’s practice, and letting the staff know about it. That opened the door for Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders to soak up more reps, especially since Kenny Pickett also sat out.
Flacco remains the lead man, logging first-team snaps, while Sanders works with the third team for now. Any break in the action for Gabriel or Pickett boosts Sanders’ chances to get in more real-game practice, which is key before preseason action arrives. Earning those extra snaps with the second and third teams is the perfect shot for Sanders to push for a roster spot when live games begin.
But for Gabriel, this hamstring issue could just be a bump in the road if he bounces back soon. Hamstring problems can linger, as Pickett’s absence shows, in this type of heated competition, every chance to run an offense in practice means something. Quarterbacks live for those reps, because each one is a shot to grab a backup job or move up the depth chart.
Browns fans know the numbers game here: Very few rosters carry four quarterbacks as the regular season approaches. With neither Gabriel nor Sanders unseating Flacco at the top, odds are one lands on the practice squad or gets cut. That means every snap and every day on the practice field will shape who sticks around in Cleveland.
