The Cleveland Browns entered their bye week searching for an answer after a 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots. The defeat reignited a familiar conversation around the team’s offense, particularly the quarterback position. Rookie passer Shedeur Sanders is waiting in the wings, but for now, Dillon Gabriel remains the starter.
What Did a Former NFL MVP Say About Shedeur Sanders?
Dillon Gabriel has been producing modest numbers as the starter, and his play has not been very encouraging. His PFSN Impact Score is 52.3 with an F grade. The Cleveland Browns, nevertheless, appear willing to give the young quarterback more time to grow within the system.
Meanwhile, as the hype around him grows, Shedeur Sanders continues to recover from a minor back issue that kept him out of the New England Patriots game. He was absent again from the Browns’ first practice following the bye on Wednesday, signaling that the team remains cautious with his ramp-up schedule.
Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason talked about the situation, offering his opinion on the growing attention and the calls to make Sanders the QB1. He is doubtful about the excitement around the rookie because Sanders has yet to play in a regular-season game, and given his injury, it is not clear whether he will be able to soon.
“I don’t even like to talk about third-string quarterbacks,” Esiason said on “92.3 The Fan” podcast on Wednesday. “There’s more buzz around him than anybody I can ever remember. Is his back okay? Is it not okay? Does he want to play? Doesn’t he want to play? I mean, it’s ridiculous. So, I mean, let’s wait until we see him play.”
“Is (Shedeur’s) back OK? Is it not OK? Does he want to play? Doesn’t he want to play? It’s ridiculous. The one thing I’ll say about Dillon…I just don’t know if these guys are big enough.”
🚨 @7BOOMERESIASON w/ @NickWilsonSays and @JPeterlin on #Browns QBs 🏈 pic.twitter.com/4JzHQeRkIH
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 5, 2025
Talking about Dillon Gabriel, Boomer Esiason shared his concerns about the quarterback’s size and long-term viability in the league, comparing him to smaller quarterbacks who have faced similar scrutiny.
“He reminds me of Tua Tagovailoa,” Esiason said. “I just don’t know if these guys are big enough, really, honestly, with the size and speed, and you think about 6-foot quarterbacks, maybe he’s a little bit taller than that. … But in this league, if you’re not 6-foot-2, to 6-foot-5, playing quarterback is almost impossible. … So it’s hard for me to actually get a sense of how good Dillon can be. I know he was great in college in Oregon … I just don’t know if he’s big enough.”
His concern, he said, isn’t about Gabriel’s intelligence or arm talent, but about the physical demands of today’s NFL.