Coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t see it as a significant issue.
At the Browns’ rookie minicamp on Friday, he decided that Chedure Sanders would follow Dillon Gabriel in the quarterback rotation.
Stefanski played down its significance.
“I didn’t look into anything,” he remarked when questioned about placing Sanders behind Gabriel. “If you consider the entire weekend, you can evaluate the spring. We’re not overly concerned with who’s first.”
Given that Gabriel was drafted in the third round, while Sanders was a fifth-round pick, this arrangement was somewhat expected.
Stefanski noted that the order of turns shouldn’t be interpreted as indicative of future depth charts; rather, it serves as a standard practice to ensure fair assessments of the quarterbacks.
Both quarterbacks engaged in various drills, including an 11-on-7 session.
“They were being showcased,” Stefanski mentioned afterward. “I thought they both did well. There’s room for improvement. It’s a learning curve. Techniques need refinement. That’s why we’re here; we’ll put in the effort to get them ready for when they join the veterans on Monday.”
Gabriel, who has played six college seasons across UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon, threw 30 touchdown passes and racked up over 3,600 passing yards in his last two seasons. He placed third in the Heisman vote for 2024, trailing only Travis Hunter from Colorado and Ashton Janti from Boise State, earning him the 24th-first place vote.
Meanwhile, Sanders garnered acclaim as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, throwing for 37 touchdowns and over 4,100 yards, finishing eighth in the Heisman poll.
