Browns Digest

Examining The Preseason Starts For Cleveland Browns Rookie Quarterbacks

Here's a full breakdown of Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback duo of Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel's first preseason starts.
Dylan Feltovich|
Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Browns

With the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel both receiving a start during the 2025 preseason, fans have now finally seen the newest additions to the quarterback room against a live defense.

Both Gabriel and Sanders have unfortunately seen a limited amount of snaps during training camp with two veterans ahead of the pair on the depth chart, especially Sanders. But with the franchise's No. 1 quarterback in Joe Flacco not playing in the first two preseason contests, the rookies were able to get a chance to see significant time in the games.

Here's a breakdown of each quarterback's performances in their respective starts during the preseason.

Sanders' Breakdown

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates his touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

With both Gabriel and Kenny Pickett sidelined with injuries heading into week one, the Browns called on Sanders to kick off the team's preseason against the Carolina Panthers. While many were concerned that the rookie was being "set up for failure" by the organization with his lack of reps during training camp, Sanders quickly ended this narrative, completing 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

One of Sanders' biggest knocks coming out of college was his inability to go through his progression, but the former Colorado playmaker showed on multiple occasions that he can get to his other options. The most notable example was his second touchdown pass to Kaden Davis, where Sanders managed to avoid the incoming pressure and squeeze a pass between two defenders.

Sanders also showed this during his fifth drive with the Browns' offense, as he once again avoided pressure, let the play develop and found wide receiver Gage Larvadain for a huge 19-yard completion while pressed against his own end zone.

Despite his solid overall performance, there were some issues that Sanders must clean up in the future. It's great to have a quarterback that can use his legs when a play breaks down like Sanders, however, there were a few instances where he opted to use his legs too soon or tried to overextend a play instead of throwing it away. Sanders will eventually learn when it's time to officially quit on a play with more experience.

Gabriel's Breakdown

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel
Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After being sidelined in the team's first preseason game, Gabriel was named the starter for Browns' second game against the Philadelphia Eagles the following week. And despite him missing time, the young quarterback played the first half of the contest, completing 13 of his 18 pass attempts for 143 yards and one interception.

Gabriel made it clear early on that he was not afraid of the pressure Philadelphia brought, as he displayed his pocket presence multiple times by stepping up to avoid the pass rush.

On top of awareness inside the pocket, Gabriel dominated in third-down situations for Cleveland, as five of his seven completions in those situations resulted in a first down. This included a beautifully-placed ball during his first drive to wide receiver Jamari Thrash on third and five.

Unfortunately for Gabriel, he did face his fare share of woes in his first two quarters of play after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. There's a good chance that there was a miscommunication between him and his pass catchers on the play, but this is a prime situation where the rookie needs to throw the ball away and not force the play.

The Verdict

Going into both preseason contests, expectations were low for both quarterbacks due to their lack of experience at the professional level and their respective draft rounds. However, both rookies did an excellent job within the confines of head coach Kevin Stefanski's play calling.

One aspect that I believe Gabriel outperformed Sanders was with how both quarterbacks managed the pocket. On most of his pass plays, Gabriel was able to get through his progression and operate in the pocket (outside of the interception), where as Sanders would try and use his legs more when he did not have his first read. This should obviously be taken with a grain of salt, since it was a different opponent and a different game plan.

In addition to Gabriel's pocket presence, the play calling was different between the two quarterbacks with Gabriel's resembling Stefanski's typical scheme. Both quarterbacks received a healthy dosage under center (which is something both players did not have much experience with prior to Cleveland), but the former Oregon standout's plays had more motion involved, which was similar to his former offensive coordinator Will Stein's style in college.

There's a reason why general manager Andrew Berry decided to take Gabriel in the third round of draft, and the rookie showed why in the second preseason game. His ability to run Stefanski's offense will be a significant help for him in the long run, which gives him the upper hand when looking at the battle between the two rookies.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.

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