With Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett sidelined by injuries, rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel couldn’t have asked for a better beginning, and that too, against the Philadelphia Eagles. Gabriel orchestrated a 13-play, 63-yard touchdown drive on Cleveland’s opening possession. He set up the touchdown with a 16-yard end-around by undrafted rookie Gage Larvadain. Rookie running back Ahmani Marshall capped the drive with a five-yard TD run. The Cleveland Browns carried a 6–0 lead. In that moment, Gabriel was shining. But the plot changed quickly, and the Browns were less than prepared.

The preseason has a way of rewriting stories in just a handful of snaps. And the Eagles signed Andrew Mukuba for the same mentality he showed on the pitch. Gabriel was oozing with momentum. Just then, Philadelphia’s second-round pick Mukuba jumped one of Gabriel’s throws and returned it 75 yards for a Pick-6, igniting the league’s social feeds. The official NFL account proclaimed, “Andrew Mukuba PICK-6! The @Eagles second-round pick takes Dillon Gabriel’s pass to the house.”

With that Pick-6, Gabriel’s momentum was crushed, and seemingly the pressure of out-maneuvering Shedeur dwelled in deeper. On the very next drive, a botched handoff intended for Pierre Strong Jr. ended in a turnover, recovered by the Eagles. One after the other, Gabriel’s decision-making and protection were in question soon after the first drive’s promise. The fumble was revealed on X by Camryn Justice, who wrote, “Dillon Gabriel attempts to hand it to Pierre Strong Jr., the handoff went wrong, fumble recovered by the Eagles. #Browns.” 

The contrast with Shedeur Sanders’ performance during the preseason opener couldn’t have been starker. Sanders went 14-for-23 passing for 138 yards, tossed two touchdowns, rushed for 19 yards, and didn’t turn the ball over in a 30–10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

That debut framed Sanders not just as promising, but as potentially clutch. And the debut of Gabriel? In just one quarter, Gabriel presented two conflicting stories: a professional, composed drive, then turnovers and sacks. So, what’s next for him? We couldn’t be less sure. But while Dillon Gabriel managed to steady the offense in his first extended look under center, the conversation outside the stadium quickly shifted back to the quarterback he’s competing with.

Fans turn on Dillon Gabriel and prefer Shedeur Sanders after both rookies debuted

If the turnovers told one story on the field, the reaction online told another: louder and harsher. Cleveland fans, long scarred by the team’s quarterback experiments, wasted no time pivoting to Shedeur Sanders as their clear preference. Sure, he was out injured, and said, “I’ll be back soon.” But the Dawg Pound wasn’t ready to wait on him for DG to be throwing picks as one comment read: “Dillon Gabriel is A*s.”

Well, that could be over hating on a rookie, who, well, against the defending SB champs did well. Gabriel’s numbers weren’t terrible: 13 of 18 for 143 yards. But, you can imagine that ‘well’ is not enough in Cleveland. Not anymore. The wounds of QBs doing well in preseason to not showing up in regular season have not healed (maybe it’s Deshaun Watson‘s $230 million trust issue, who knows?). That’s when another wrote, “Shedeur will easily start over that bum Gabriel.”

Even softer takes came with caveats. A fan admitted, “He was balling until that pick!! He just got to settle down.” Yup, the one interception erased goodwill instantly, especially when stacked against Sanders’ debut line of throwing for ZERO picks in 138 yards. Context didn’t matter. Efficiency didn’t matter. Fans had already made their quarterback rankings clear, and Gabriel is stuck in third place.

Another questioned the decision-making, asking, “Someone ran the wrong route or had bad depth. But why force that throw?” For many, the verdict was simple—“Shedeur would never.” In the end, the Browns can shuffle depth charts all they want, but momentum isn’t theirs to control. Right now, momentum wears No. 12. Gabriel may have steadied the offense, but Sanders has shifted the entire conversation in Cleveland.