Shedeur Sanders got his moment in the spotlight in the Browns' preseason opener. With the former Colorado star out due to an oblique injury, it was Dillon Gabriel's turn on Saturday against the Eagles.
Gabriel was a third-round pick of Cleveland in April's draft after finishing a stellar college career with a stop at Oregon, and he remains ahead of Sanders on the Browns' unofficial depth chart, even after an impressive debut from his rookie counterpart.
Gabriel sat out the Browns' first preseason game with a hamstring injury, setting himself back in what was already expected to be an uphill battle to win the team's starting job. Joe Flacco, Sanders and Kenny Pickett also remain in the running to be under center in Week 1.
Here's a look at how Gabriel performed in his preseason debut against the Eagles.
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Grading Dillon Gabriel's rookie debut
Grade: B
Gabriel had plenty of strong moments during his debut on Saturday, making smart decisions in the first quarter and taking what the defense gave him despite the pressure to prove himself in such a limited window.
In the second quarter, mistakes overshadowed everything else. Gabriel threw a pick-six he would like to have back, holding onto the ball a bit too long and trying to force it into a window manned by Eagles rookie Andrew Mukuba — though a case can be made that TE Blake Whiteheart should have made more of an attempt to catch he ball. Mukuba had nothing but room to run as he took Gabriel's pass back for a momentum-destroying touchdown.
Later in the quarter, the Browns quickly threw away an opportunity on a botched handoff by Gabriel. The turnover set up a touchdown drive for the Eagles.
The score doesn't matter much in the preseason. All things considered, Gabriel proved he belonged. He put together a terrific first quarter, connecting on short and mid-range passes without ever looking rattled by the Eagles' defense. While he faded toward the end of his day, including a two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter that wasn't as efficient as Kevin Stefanski might have hoped, Gabriel did what he had to do.
Dillon Gabriel debut stats
Completions/Attempts: 13/18
Passing yards: 143
Touchdowns: 0
Interceptions: 1
Rushing attempts: 2
Rushing yards: 1
Fumble: 1
Gabriel finished 13-of-18 for 143 yards and an interception in Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles. Gabriel also added a fumble on a botched handoff, but he didn't make much of an impact as a runner he finishes up his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Dillon Gabriel debut highlights
Here's a look at Gabriel's highlights from his first preseason game.
we keep on marching#CLEvsPHI on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/knHB0dhaaQ
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 16, 2025
Dillon Gabriel leads a TD drive on his first drive as a starter
Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/fNS1JWd7pp
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
.@_dillongabriel_ with the 30-yarder to set up the kick@KadenDavis23 | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/OVioROgTHx
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 16, 2025
Not a highlight, but a lowlight:
Andrew Mukuba PICK-6!
The @Eagles second-round pick takes Dillon Gabriel's pass to the house.
Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/n5jsRGN4Bw
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025