Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel have faced their share of struggles through their preseason training camp with the Cleveland Browns. While Gabriel has been getting most of the preseason training camp reps with the first team offense, even ahead of veteran Joe Flacco, he has been falling, throwing several picks, and failing to reach the end zone consistently.
Sanders’ problem, on the other hand, has been a lack of action. He’s not considered ready for the NFL yet and thus has been limited in drills.
Insider Daryl Ruiter summarized the situation on a tweet this Tuesday. He wrote:
“Neither #Browns rookie is ready to play. Dillon Gabriel is further along than Shedeur Sanders is, but Gabriel has a long way to go before he is ready to start a regular season game. Hopefully circumstances don’t prevent them from sticking to their development plan.”
Neither #Browns rookie is ready to play. Dillon Gabriel is further along than Shedeur Sanders is, but Gabriel has a long way to go before he is ready to start a regular season game. Hopefully circumstances don’t prevent them from sticking to their development plan.
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 5, 2025
Fans were quick to react, mostly calling for Shedeur Sanders to be given a greater role in preseason training:
“We’ve seen Dillion and he’s a*s,” wrote one fan.
“How is Dillon further along than Shedeur, be completely objective,” said someone else.
“so you haven’t watched them at all at camp? got it,” complained another person.
“This like arguing whether a car with only three wheels or brakes that work 50% of the time is better to drive,” joked someone.
“You need to be drug tested if you think Dillon Gabriel is futher along than Shedeur Sanders,” wrote another.
“You been dealing with a poverty organization for so long you blind to what a good qb look like,” one person slammed Ruiter.
Daryl Ruiter on real reason behind Dillon Gabriel’s struggle at Cleveland Browns’ training camp
Speaking on 92.3 The Fan over the weekend, Daryl Ruiter explained that the main reason Dillon Gabriel had been struggling through the preseason training camp was the fact that the team was treating him as a first-rounder.
According to Ruiter, Gabriel could do with a little action, as he’s been getting most of the first team reps so far in training camp:
“They’re putting him in a bad spot. You’re forcing me to evaluate this kid like he’s a first-round pick; he’s not. He’s a 3rd-round pick. It’s clear that you’re trying to prepare him to play this year, and I think that it is a grave mistake. He’s not ready for it. I am evaluating him not as a third-round pick, I’m evaluating him as a guy who they’re giving first-team reps right out of the gate. Every day, this guy is first up. Occasionally, it’s Joe Flacco, but every day, it’s Dillon Gabriel first up. Why?”
“They’re putting him in a bad spot. You’re forcing me to evaluate this kid like he’s a 1st-round pick. He’s a 3rd-round pick. It’s clear that you’re trying to prepare him to play”
🚨@RuiterWrongFAN to @NickPedone12 on #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel
🔊Listen: https://t.co/9LTb8vvum0 pic.twitter.com/9RQJf8Cxfu
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 3, 2025
One of the weirdest things about the Cleveland Browns’ preseason training camp is the fact that Dillon Gabriel has been taking the majority of reps with the first team offense. Even above Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco, according to some reports. This could be due to Kenny Pickett’s hamstring injury, but it’s probably at an end, as Gabriel is suffering some hamstring soreness of his own.
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