The Cleveland Browns have started a new era.
Dillon Gabriel is the starting quarterback, and unless he plays poorly for a long stretch or gets injured, that should continue to be the case.
Nevertheless, all of the talk is about his backup, again.
Despite how unprepared Shedeur Sanders looked in the preseason, some still insist that he is a better choice than his fellow 2025 NFL Draft pick.
That includes Skip Bayless, who recently claimed that Sanders would’ve defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5, which was Gabriel’s first NFL start as he took over for Joe Flacco.
“Shedeur is way better than Dillon Gabriel. He just is. If Shedeur had started from the start, game one against Cincinnati at home, they would be the talk of the NFL right now. … Dillon was playing not to lose (against Minnesota). Don’t throw it to them. Don’t put it on the ground. And he did a great job of that. But on one of those third downs, you have to try to make a play to win the football game. Trust me, no matter what [Kevin] Stefanski called, Shedeur would try to win the football game because it’s how he was raised. You’re going to make a play because you were born to make a play,” Bayless said.
“If Shedeur had started from the start, game one against Cincinnati. [Browns] would be the talk of the NFL.”
The crew grade Dillon Gabriel’s first start and say Sanders is coming soon. pic.twitter.com/iMxmY8M8KK
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) October 7, 2025
Bayless is known for being a huge Deion Sanders and Dallas Cowboys fan, and most of his takes have always been personal and subjective.
Additionally, he didn’t provide any realistic or logical reason why Shedeur Sanders would’ve won that game, other than wishful thinking.
More than that, the quarterback, especially a rookie quarterback, shouldn’t go off script, and he should execute whatever the head coach or offensive coordinator calls.
Shedeur Sanders might have a higher ceiling than Gabriel, but unless he proves that he’s prepared and, more importantly, Gabriel isn’t, he’s going to remain the backup.
He’s not an elite athlete who is a can’t-miss talent, and he’s not at a point in his development where he’d put the team in a better position to win.
That’s not to say it won’t be the case someday, but perhaps the focus should be on the rookie quarterback who’s actually playing before counting him out and discussing his replacement.
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