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Browns Head Coach Explains Why Shedeur Sanders Lost QB2 Competition

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 11:37 PM ET

Despite all the hype surrounding Shedeur Sanders this offseason, he won't be the backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns during their season opener.

The Browns selected Sanders with the 144th overall pick in this year's draft. There isn't usually a ton of drama surrounding fifth-round picks, but an exception was made for the son of Deion Sanders. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he showed plenty of skills at the collegiate level. In fact, he finished his Colorado career with 7,364 passing yards and 64 touchdowns.

Sanders wasn't the only quarterback the Browns drafted this past April. The front office also selected former Oregon standout Dillon Gabriel with the 94th pick.

Initially, the Browns were expected to name Joe Flacco their starter and Kenny Pickett their backup. While the coaching staff remains committed to Flacco as QB1, they can no longer lean on Pickett. He was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick.

Well, that trade opened the door for one of the two rookies to be named the backup quarterback. It was revealed on Tuesday that Gabriel won that competition.

Why did the Browns go with Gabriel?

On Tuesday afternoon, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media about his depth chart for Week 1.

Stefanski said Gabriel is getting "better and better." Pair that with his work ethic, and the Browns were more than OK with naming him QB2.

"It's such an all-encompassing evaluation," Stefanski told reporters. "Everything the guys did in the games was important. We also saw a lot of them out here in practice and how they are at their craft and (Gabriel) is certainly somebody that we think is getting better and better."

Did Gabriel truly beat out Sanders?

Sanders completed 58.6% of his passes in the preseason for 152 yards with two touchdowns. He was sacked five times this past weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. for a loss of 41 yards

Gabriel, meanwhile, completed 67.6% of his preseason pass attempts for 272 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

If you go by the preseason numbers, Gabriel outperformed Sanders. Some fans might not want to hear that, but it's the truth.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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