The Cleveland Browns drafted two quarterbacks in 2025. Dillon Gabriel went in the third round at pick 94. Shedeur Sanders followed in the fifth round at pick 144. Gabriel became the starter in Week 5 after Joe Flacco was benched and later traded.
The Browns hold a 2-5 record through seven games. Gabriel has completed 64 of 107 passes in three starts. The offense ranks third-worst in passing yards per game at 178.3.
Shedeur Sanders Quietly Cooking in Cleveland and Gabriel Might Wanna Peek Over His Shoulder
Sanders has not played a regular season snap. The rookie remains Gabriel’s backup on the depth chart. But local reporter Mary Kay Cabot provided an update on Sanders’ development during a Cleveland radio appearance.
Cabot noted that the Browns are pleased with how Sanders has progressed behind the scenes, showing steady growth in the areas they’ve emphasized. “He’s really coming along,” she said.
The fifth-round pick completed 74 percent of his passes at Colorado in 2024. He won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Sanders also received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Cabot compared the two quarterbacks directly. She said Sanders possesses elite accuracy. She asserts on Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan sports radio show, “The thing about Shedeur is he has elite accuracy, and that’s the place where I think he has Dillon beat.”
“I think this development has gone really, really well behind the scenes. That is what I’m hearing with the people that I’ve talked to. He’s making progress in every way.”
🚨 @MaryKayCabot w/ @CLETalkingHeads on the development of #Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders 🏈 pic.twitter.com/kDHlMyz27E
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 21, 2025
Gabriel has not exceeded 221 passing yards in any start. His completion rate sits at 59.8 percent through three games. The Browns offense averages just 16.1 points per game this season, third-worst in the NFL.
Cabot emphasized that Sanders continues to develop. The team wants to see him ready before playing. Sanders works on shotgun snaps, play-action, footwork and quarterback movement skills.
“In a seven-on-seven drill, if you put those two up next to each other and you just started doing a red zone seven-on-seven, I think Shedeur would win that drill most of the time,” she added while comparing their potential.
Reports suggest Sanders could start the final four games. ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo said two sources confirmed the plan. Sanders would face Chicago, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati if reports prove accurate.
Browns Fans Question Quarterback Decisions
The news reached social media platforms within hours. Fans from across the Browns community responded immediately. The reactions are split between support and skepticism about team decisions.
One fan wrote, “So during the 2 preseason scoring drives engineered by Sanders, Sanders was doing things wrong? No one in the Browns organization can articulate exactly why Sanders is not ready.”
A second added, “Coaches can’t take credit for good players unless they develop them. Musgrave is an Oregon guy so it won’t change. Gotta knock Shedeur down to prop up Dillon.”
A third noted, “He’ll let him play he couldn’t be as bad as the ones who were starting. I think the browns are afraid he going to be too good just a thought.”
Another pointed out, “They never developed Shedeur. Gabriel is so bad they’re now pivoting with a new story.”
The Browns face New England in Week 8. Gabriel remains the starter for now, but the quarterback situation continues to develop throughout the season.
