As the Cleveland Browns took the field in London against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, a game that the Browns lost 21-17 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Dillon Gabriel got the start and performed well.
Gabriel was elevated to the starting role after Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski benched Flacco. This was also an opportunity for Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders to possibly get elevated to the backup role on Sunday, but that didn’t happen.
After watching Gabriel play on Sunday, one analyst is calling for Sanders to get more playing time.
Skip Bayless Urges Browns to Start Shedeur Sanders
Longtime sports analyst Skip Bayless was watching the game from his home and decided to offer a three-word comment about the Browns quarterback situation.
What did Bayless say? “TIME FOR. SHEDEUR!”
TIME FOR. SHEDEUR!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 5, 2025
While Bayless might think Sanders would have done better out there, Gabriel did not embarrass himself one bit. In the loss, Gabriel was 19-for-33 passing for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Touchdown passes this season:
Dillon Gabriel: 3
Joe Flacco: 2 pic.twitter.com/2nWWOsj5TB— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) October 5, 2025
He didn’t turn the ball over once. The Browns have made it clear that they want Sanders to get more practice time and observe the pro game to understand what’s happening on the field.
Bayless has a long history of making comments that go against the grain. But Cleveland, which fell to 1-4 overall with the loss, now has to decide whether Gabriel has earned another starting opportunity.
Flacco started the first four games for the Browns and only managed to lead the team to one victory. Gabriel might get another shot at a start next week.
Gabriel was drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns out of Oregon. As for Sanders, he was being pitched as a top draft pick but fell all the way to the fifth round. Of course, Sanders played for his father, Deion Sanders, at Colorado. Cleveland added him to their quarterbacking corps, hoping to give him a chance to get better.
Flacco is a former first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 NFL Draft. In his four starts this season, Flacco threw two touchdowns but had six interceptions. That’s not a winning recipe for any quarterback in the NFL.
Stefanski took a chance on Gabriel and, based on the rookie’s performance, didn’t disappoint. The only part that didn’t work out is getting in the win column against Minnesota.