It has nothing to do with Shedeur Sanders’ silence
It has everything to do with the fact that Cleveland has believed in Dillon Gabriel more from day one, and Sanders still must prove his worth to the Browns.
“They just don’t think he’s ready to be in a game,” Tony Grossi, who has covered the Browns for more than 40 years, exclusively told talkSPORT on Thursday in London.
Insider reveals why Browns chose Gabriel over Sanders
Joe Flacco being benched, the rookie Gabriel promoted to starting quarterback, and the rookie Sanders staying as the Browns’ No. 3 option is the biggest story in the NFL as Cleveland prepares for an International Series game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It’s a little premature,” Grossi said.
“It was always inevitable that he (Gabriel) would be the starter at some point this year. But it became premature because Joe Flacco’s got eight turnovers in four games, and they couldn’t live with that. That’s a bigger stat than their 1-3 record.”
Gabriel was rewarded with trying to instantly improve a Browns offense that ranks among the worst in the league, and will face Brian Flores’ constantly shifting defense on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Sanders responded by moving his mouth but not saying anything, creating another viral moment for a young QB who’s been in the center of the daily sports cycle since he joined the Colorado Buffaloes with his father and college head coach, Deion.
If Gabriel is solid on Sunday and the Browns are competitive, the job will remain in his hands.
If the rookie from Oregon struggles, Sanders’ legion of followers will flood social media and insist that Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski picked the wrong QB — again.
Supporters think No. 3 QB was wronged
“Dillon Gabriel was a surprise — some say controversial — third-round pick,” Grossi said. “At least in Cleveland he was, because he came out of nowhere.“People in Cleveland, and Shedeur fans, couldn’t understand how this 5-foot-11, left-hander could be considered higher than Shedeur Sanders.
“But I’ve got to tell you — I’m being totally honest. The first day of Browns rookie mini camp in May, when the rookies were the only ones on the field, I came back and said on our air, ‘I could see why the Browns picked him over Shedeur.’ And that began a hate relationship with all his fans that I’m still hated for.”
Gabriel started 63 games in college (UCF, Oklahoma, Oregon) and threw for 18,722 yards with 155 touchdowns.
He finished third in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting, and his quick release could spark Cleveland’s offense at Tottenham.
Why it’s Gabriel’s job to lose on Sunday
“The fact is that Gabriel has been ahead of Shedeur since the first day of rookie minicamp — since the draft, really,” Grossi said.
“And I believe that the coach (Stefanski) really felt bad about demoting Flacco, because he knows he’s got five interceptions and three of them weren’t his fault.”
Yet the Browns’ third-string QB is one of the most-discussed players in the league in 2025, despite falling to the fifth round of the draft and not allowing the Baltimore Ravens to draft him because they already had Lamar Jackson as their starter.
“They’ve gotten to know Shedeur and they know that he’s all about content and anything he says becomes news,” Grossi said. “He became the biggest story without saying a word (Wednesday) — I mean it went viral.
The Cleveland Browns don’t believe that Sanders is ready to star in the NFL.“We had a video of it. It was only 20 seconds. It got over 1.5 million views in 24 hours. It’s incredible, the power of him.”
Browns didn’t consider starting Sanders
Cleveland could have promoted Gabriel to No. 1 and moved Sanders up to No. 2 as the official backup vs the Vikings.
But even if Sanders was ‘ready,’ it’s unlikely that the Browns would have accepted having two raw rookies at the top of their QB depth chart this early in the season.
“Even if his name were not Shedeur Sanders — if he were just another rookie drafted in the fifth round — it’s really hard to have two rookies on game day,” Grossi said.
“That rookie starter needs a veteran shoulder to lean on during the tough times of a game — if he comes off an interception and goes to the sideline, Flacco or any veteran can talk to the guy.”
Then there’s the reality that Sanders struggled in his final preseason game, while Gabriel has impressed the Browns since he was drafted.
GettyDillon Gabriel has become the new Browns QB[/caption]Sanders might end up becoming the better quarterback.
But Gabriel was the obvious first choice on Sunday, while Sanders still needs time to win over Cleveland.
“This is the Cleveland Browns,” Grossi said.
“They played nine quarterbacks — Gabriel will be the 10th in the last 2.5 years. So the odds are they’re going to go to No. 3 at some point this year.
“But there’s still 13 games to go. That finish line is a long way away.”
Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.
Hence then, the article about why cleveland browns refused to promote shedeur sanders in london and chose inevitable rookie qb as starter was published today ( ) and is available on talksport ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Why Cleveland Browns refused to promote Shedeur Sanders in London and chose ‘inevitable’ rookie QB as starter )
Also on site :
- The End of FaZe Clan? Mass Creator Exodus Rocks Legendary Org
- The hypocritical NFL really doesn’t care about its viewers — even on the holidays
- PUBG Mobile 4.2 Update Release Date And Weapon Balance Changes