Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders Stats From Cleveland Browns 1st Training Camp Practice

The Cleveland Browns began training camp on Wednesday, meaning Dillon Gabriel is taking another step toward potentially winning the quarterback battle. The former Oregon Ducks star is competing alongside Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel gets ready during Day 2 of rookie minicamp on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns kicked off training camp on Wednesday at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, and unsurprisingly, all eyes continued to fall on the ongoing quarterback battle that has captured headlines leading up to the 2025 season.

Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel is in the mix for the starting job alongside fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Gabriel, a former Oregon Ducks star, is seen by some as the odd man out due to his age and height but he took a potential major step forward in the quarterback competition at the first training camp practice.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) chats with quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during NFL training camp practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Dillon Gabriel Outperforms Shedeur Sanders?

According to ESPN Cleveland, Gabriel finished the day going 6 of 7 passing for one touchdown and no picks during live team drills. He was the only quarterback to throw a touchdown on Wednesday, connecting with rookie wide receiver Gage Larvadain on a deep pass down the right sideline off of play action for the score.

As for Sanders, he ended the first day of training camp 3 of 8 passing for no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Here's a look at the complete stats for each quarterback:

Browns training camp day 1 is in the books. Here’s how all 4 QBs performed in team drills today. pic.twitter.com/aEIXzsehT8

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 23, 2025

Browns Face Tough Decisions at Quarterback

The Browns would have to cut the No. 4 quarterback or re-sign him to the practice squad, as there is simply no need to have that many passers on the 53-man roster. It feels unlikely that Cleveland would shock the NFL and send such a big name like Sanders to the practice squad. His presence on the sidelines during games would draw tons of eyes, which could be good on the business side of things for the organization.

There's some thought that Pickett would be on the chopping block, but as NFL insider Mike Garafolo notes, it might not make much sense to go in that direction either.

“You’re not keeping four quarterbacks, you’ve got four on the roster here," Garafolo said. "So you’ve got those two, you traded for Kenny Pickett, to then just get rid of him doesn’t make much sense. You could have four quarterbacks in the building, just not necessarily on the roster."

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of rookie minicamp May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillon Gabriel's Oregon Career

Gabriel played just one year at Oregon but it was a season to remember. He led the Ducks to a perfect 12-0 regular season en route to winning the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis over the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Gabriel had a stellar individual season, earning himself a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist alongside Travis Hunter, Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty.

In 14 games with Oregon, Gabriel went 326 of 447 passing for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for seven scores.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

What's Next?

The Browns will continue training camp through Aug. 4 before joint practices and preseason games begin.

After a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland's preseason slate starts on Aug. 8 against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Browns will then close out the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.

Time will tell how things play out for Gabriel, but if the first training camp practice was any indication, he could be well on his way toward earning a roster spot or even winning the job altogether.