Dillon Gabriel Addresses Speculation

Dillon Gabriel is ready to shift focus away from the chatter surrounding him. In his first preseason game with the Eagles on Saturday, the rookie quarterback noted that many are speculating about Cleveland’s rookie, Shedeur Sanders.

“There are celebrities, there are competitors,” Gabriel mentioned in an interview about the broadcast. “I get that completely, and my role is to compete; that’s what I’m concentrating on.”

The NFL shared Gabriel’s comments on X but omitted any context or questions that may have been asked beforehand. According to Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated, Gabriel’s answer was intended to address how he aims to keep external distractions away from the team’s internal dynamics.

After the game, Gabriel downplayed the idea that he was specifically referencing Sanders, clarifying that his focus was on the media. “They’re all in this room, just celebrities,” he said. “You have your job, and I respect that. Is that correct? I’m a competitor, so I have my own tasks at hand.”

Gabriel, 24, performed reasonably well in Cleveland’s 22-13 win against the Eagles, completing 18 of 13 passes for 173 yards. Though he did have an interception in the second quarter, which the Eagles turned into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Sanders, 23, was absent from the field on Saturday due to an oblique injury he sustained during a joint practice with the Eagles earlier in the week. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski commented, “If it’s a right guard, you can manage through it. But as a quarterback, that muscle needs to be functional for throwing. So, we’re going to be careful with him.”

He further added, “We treat it each day and monitor how he responds. Being a thrower, he wants to take precautions; you can’t push it too hard.”