Former NFL WR Doesn't Hold Back on Browns' Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

With the 2025 NFL season on the horizon, the drama continues to ramp up for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback position heading into week one.

This year's quarterback battle features two rookies in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, who are coming off prolific collegiate careers. And with the opportunity to potentially become the franchise quarterback for Cleveland, some believe the answer is clear between the two newcomers.

Former NFL wide receiver and Cleveland native Cecil Shorts III spoke out about the rookie quarterbacks on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show earlier this week, stating that Sanders is "way better" than Gabriel.

"To me, talent-wise like you mentioned, Shedeur is way better than Dillon," Shorts claimed. "Dillon wasn't on anybody's list. Let's call a spade of spade. Nobody was thinking about Dillon Gabriel being drafted in the first three rounds. Nobody. Wasn't on anybody's list. Nobody was talking about him on TV at all. Come on, let's be real here."

Short also believes that the team should stick with one of the rookie quarterbacks and let them play all 17 games this upcoming season.

"Let them battle it out, choose one and ride with them and see what they can do." Shorts said. "And I'm not big on switching quarterbacks...I hate that. Let the rookie battle all 17 games; if he's healthy, battle all 17 games. Let him develop. Let him get better."

General manager Andrew Berry had an interesting 2025 NFL Draft that left many fans confused with his moves. After trading down from the No. 2 pick to the No. 5 pick, the Browns decided to select Gabriel in the third round. And while most analysts had Sanders ranked ahead of the former Oregon Ducks quarterback, Cleveland managed to snag the falling Colorado prospect in the fifth round.

Now, the two rookies are in a battle for the starting position with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Flacco was part of the organization's incredible run during the 2023 season, so the 40-year-old quarterback offers the most experience at the position.