The early stages of that competition began during rookie minicamp when Gabriel and Sanders took the field. They both took reps during all the periods, alternating throwing the football during individual drills and switched off between groups during team drills.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said their intention throughout rookie minicamp was to split the reps between Gabriel and Sanders, adding competitive periods into the script to get them as many reps as possible.
"You may get the first rep of practice with the ones, but then the next period you may get the second group. So, we vary it throughout. We're focused more on the totality of this competition," Stefanski said. "I told the players last night, we tell them this – we're evaluating everything they do out on the field, in the meeting room, in the weight room. We want to see how they work. So, this is a total evaluation. It's not just about one rep at rookie minicamp or one rep in an OTA. It's really all about the body of work."
Even in the midst of competition, Gabriel knows that he can learn from Flacco, Pickett and Deshaun Watson, as well as Sanders. He understands the importance of having a healthy quarterback room that has an environment of encouraging one another to be their best. And through it all, he is focused on his goals.
"I got to continue to dominate the moment and have great practices," Gabriel said. "Every day I approach is like, 'I'm going to go get that rep,' and I live like that."