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Browns QB Dillon Gabriel seems to diss Shedeur Sanders during interview vs. Eagles

The rookie quarterback had a solid game besides a pick six vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, and his sideline quote sure felt like a Shedeur Sanders burn.
Matthew Graham|
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders throws as QBs Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett look on during minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Berea.
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders throws as QBs Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett look on during minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Berea. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cleveland BrownsPhiladelphia Eagles

If Shedeur Sanders fans thought fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel was going to go quietly into the night, think again.

The former Oregon Ducks star and third-round pick, two rounds ahead of the most talked about fifth round pick in NFL history, started today in the Cleveland Browns second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, playing well before a pick six ruined his day in the 22-13 victory.

RELATED: Shedeur Sanders arrives lowkey solo vs. Eagles in casual hoodie, bucket hat

Dillon Gabriel
Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While that will be scrutinized by NFL experts in a four-way QB battle for only three spots, with Super Bowl winning veteran Joe Flacco almost certainly starting Week 1, it was his comment during the game for an in-game interview that will be the most picked apart.

"There's entertainers and there's competitors... and my job is to compete," the 24-year-old Gabriel said.

RELATED: Browns post cryptic 4-word Shedeur Sanders tweet implying his QB1 future

That sure feels like shots fired at Sanders, who is very much an entertainer, which has served him well throughout his career, especially under his famous Coach Prime father Deion Sanders, leading to a NIL multi-million dollar empire and the first ever college football player to get a deal with Nike while playing for the Colorado Buffaloes.

RELATED: Truth behind Shedeur Sanders’ viral ‘entourage’ in Browns debut

Shedeur Sanders
Aug 8, 2025; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders celebrates his touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Heck, even Sanders' walk-in last week for his NFL debut was highly scrutinized as teammate Tony Brown blared a boombox with an original Shedeur track playing. Again, very much an entertainer.

Most Browns fans are pulling for Sanders, but Gabriel has made it clear. He's not going anywhere without a fight.

Shedeur vs. Dillon. Get your popcorn ready.

UPDATE: Gabriel backtracked his comments in his postgame press conference, somehow saying he was referring to the media as entertainers.

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

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