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Browns' Dillon Gabriel made one big mistake in promising preseason debut
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Browns' Dillon Gabriel made one big mistake in promising preseason debut

The Cleveland Browns  quarterback competition remains one of the biggest storylines in football. On Saturday, rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel had his first opportunity to shine against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 2025 third-round pick mostly did, except for one crucial mistake that tarnished an otherwise strong showing: a pick-six by Eagles rookie defensive back Andrew Mukuba, who ran 75 yards for a touchdown. 

Other than that, Gabriel completed 13-of-18 passes for 143 yards in his half of work, demonstrating quick decision-making and on-time throws. It's hard to ask for better than that from the 24-year-old out of Oregon in his pro debut. 

The Browns have four quarterbacks in camp, who are all vying for the starting spot, including veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as well as rookies Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. 

However, that group is currently devastated by injuries. Sanders is the latest to be added to the injury report with an oblique strain, which kept him out of Saturday's lineup. Sanders was excellent in his debut against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8, going 14-of-23 with 138 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 30-10 win.

Despite this, Gabriel remains higher on the depth chart than Sanders, and has been since the beginning of training camp. Even with the pick-six, Saturday's performance should have been enough to keep Gabriel at that spot on the depth chart. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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