The Browns’ camp in Berea has shifted from calm to tense, with rookie Dillon Gabriel caught squarely in the spotlight. Just two months ago, head coach Kevin Stefanski praised his rookies as “sponges” who stayed late, studied hard, and soaked up every detail from veterans like Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. “They’re sponges in the meeting room, which I think is really fun for me.”
But the reality on the field is beginning to look far different. Especially since Pickett pulled his hamstring. After a promising start, Gabriel has struggled badly, completing just 3-of-14 passes with two interceptions in full-team drills on August 1, the worst showing of camp so far. The flashes of the Heisman finalist out of Oklahoma have been smothered by bad reads, poor timing, and an inability to keep pace with a crowded quarterback room.
Stefanski, for now, is keeping the tone measured. And he’s refusing to pile on criticism. Still, the numbers are hard to ignore. On that same day, Flacco looked calm and efficient, going 9-of-13 with two touchdowns and no picks. Even Shedeur Sanders, fighting hard, posted 7-of-10 with a score. Gabriel, meanwhile, saw reps slip away as the staff tried to steady him through basic throws he’d normally hit in his sleep. A few high, rushed balls in 7-on-7s drew quiet frustration from onlookers, who had hoped Gabriel could assert himself more confidently against a rebuilt defense.
Yet if camp is a crucible, Gabriel still has time to emerge sharper. But the Browns need a true developmental quarterback… And, so far, the third-rounder’s audition is running out of time to convince anyone he can be that player. However, Stefanski doesn’t need instant perfection from his young signal-caller. He needs evolution.
As he addressed the press on Saturday morning, he was asked how he feels about Gabriel’s struggles, to which Stefanski replied, “It’s never as bad as you think, it’s never as good as you think, as a coach when you go and watch the tape. I would tell you with any of our players, particularly Dillon, wants to be great at practice. There are times that you’re gonna go through a tough period. Out on practice, a tough 7 on 7, a tough team period, whatever, and maybe, you really try to learn from those problems.”
Here is Kevin Stefanski Saturday morning on Dillon Gabriel struggling in practice Friday, Kenny Pickett’s return to practice and rookie tight end Harold Fannin. pic.twitter.com/XEvjvTZQNX
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) August 2, 2025
The Browns’ QB competition is full-fledged underway. Camp-wide numbers suggest Gabriel has significantly lagged. He only had a 21.4% completion rate, with one interception in team drills, marking his second interception of the camp. Meanwhile, rookie Shedeur completed 70% of his passes with a touchdown. This echoes Stefanski’s approach: remedial mistakes often lead to growth, not bench pressings. As the quarterback competition hots up, he wants Gabriel battle-tested, not benched. Will Gabriel shine in the regular season?
But while Dillon Gabriel’s growing pains are unfolding on the field in real time, another rookie quarterback isn’t even getting the chance to make those mistakes. Instead of competing for reps, he’s now dealing with an untimely setback that’s keeping him on the sidelines just as the quarterback battle heads deep into camp.
Have the Browns and Kevin Stefanksi shunned Shedeur Sanders?
However, this time, it’s not for the performance reasons. If the chatter earlier suggested that it was… Shedeur Sanders is dealing with shoulder soreness and has been held out of team drills, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Sanders.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp May 10, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 talks to the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250510_kab_bk4_016
Schefty wrote on Instagram, “Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is being held out of team drills today due to what the team is calling shoulder soreness.” Sanders’ first week of training camp was nothing short of eye-catching. In early padded practices, he reportedly went 9-for-9 in a session with two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Furthermore, in more intense sessions against first-team defenders, he held his own. On July 30, he completed 6 out of 10 passes with clean decision-making and notable calm under pressure.
According to former NFL star Cecil Shorts, “To me, talent-wise… Shedeur is way better than Dillon. Dillon wasn’t nobody’s list.” But Stefanski thinks otherwise. Gabriel is learning, making mistakes, yet Sanders didn’t even have a chance for that. In a quarterback room filled with uncertainty, Shedeur Sanders was quietly building momentum until the shoulder soreness forced a pause.
While the setback may delay his rise, his early camp performance has left a mark. If healthy, Sanders could still emerge as one of the Browns’ most intriguing stories this preseason.
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