As the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition heats up, rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel find themselves battling for a spot on the depth chart.
Since they are in a fierce competition with each other, Sanders was recently asked about his relationship with Gabriel.
Shedeur Sanders Opens Up About Dillon Gabriel
Sanders, the former Colorado star and a Second-Team All͏-American, joined the Browns as a fifth-round pick in ͏the 2͏02͏5 NFL͏ Draft͏ — a surprising ͏slide͏ for a quarterback once projected to be a first-rounder.
Gabriel͏, on the other hand͏, was ͏selected ͏in the third round following a successful one-year stint at Oregon, where he led the Ducks to ͏an undefeated regular season and a College Football Playoff berth.
At͏ the rookie minicamp,͏ both quarterbacks͏ began their NFL journeys and started competing ͏no͏͏t just against ͏one another,͏ but ͏also ͏against veterans like Joe Flacco͏ ͏and Ken͏ny͏͏ Picke͏tt.͏ De͏shaun Wats͏on͏ remains on the roster ͏͏but is currently recovering from injury͏.
Despite the quarterback room being crowded and the stakes high, Sanders had only positive things to say about Gabriel. “Everything’s been cool,” Sanders told SportsCasting. “He’s a cool person. I like how he handles situations, especially just the negative media that’s coming his way. I’m just happy he’s positive, he’s able to handle everything. We’re truly cool.”
Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel will take the No. 1 and No. 2 reps for the Browns when OTAs open, per @MaryKayCabot pic.twitter.com/99hhp8ZPJo
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL)
The two rookies are not just sharing a quarterback room but are also helping each other navigate the early stages of NFL life. “For sure,” Sanders said when asked if they were learning from each other.
While Gabriel approaches competition by focusing inward, stating, “I’m trying to beat myself yesterday… Just any chance I can be one percent better,” Sanders echoed a similarly grounded mentality. “My job here isn’t to prove people wrong, I’m proving myself right,” he said. “What those people say, that’s just their opinions. I don’t truly care. They don’t really live in my mental space about that type of stuff.”
Sanders, who credits his focus and mindset to advice from his father Deion Sanders, is embracing the grind. Though he hasn’t taken a snap in a real NFL game yet, he remains excited for the opportunity. “I’m not sure,” Sanders admitted when asked about differences between the college and pro game. “I haven’t played a snap yet. I’m excited to see myself.”
He’s also remained largely off the grid since draft day. “I haven’t talked to [Tom Brady] since the draft,” Sanders said. “I’ve mainly just been focusing on the team… I really don’t even talk to my family. It’s one of those situations where I just have to lock in, stay focused on what’s present now.”
The Browns’ first preseason game is scheduled for August 8 against the Carolina Panthers — a key step in determining who ultimately wins the QB1 battle.