The Cleveland Browns quarterback position has been part of the national discussion for quite some time now.<\/p>\n
For many years, it was a tragically comical discussion<\/a>. In recent years, it\u2019s been an unsavory one<\/a>. This season, it\u2019s going to be as dramatic as a soap opera.<\/p>\n Much of that drama has been driven by narratives. Narratives surrounding Shedeur Sanders before the 2025 NFL Draft. Narratives during the draft as he remained unselected with each passing round. Narratives that coalesced around him after the Browns selected him in the fifth round<\/a>, two rounds later than Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. And narratives that have driven the story all preseason long, as Sanders and Gabriel compete to prove which rookie is more valuable<\/a>, as well as demonstrating their spot on the depth chart alongside Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Tyler Huntley.<\/p>\n For the most part, the current narrative around Sanders has him on a hero\u2019s journey of sorts. Seemingly brought low by NFL clubs that wanted to take him down a peg for his perceived cockiness and brash behavior<\/a>, he finds himself fighting for his professional career<\/a> on a franchise where not everyone wanted to draft him<\/a>, while media members<\/a> are rooting for his demise<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gabriel is the antagonist in this narrative. An undeserving rival who seemed to have the upper hand and favored status, standing in the way of Sanders\u2019 redemption. The success of one means failure for the other.<\/p>\n Reality is, of course, more nuanced than all of this. Sanders is no more the hero or villain than Gabriel. Both are rookie quarterbacks at the precipice of everything they\u2019ve been dreaming about their entire lives, doing what they can to keep moving forward in a battle where one will invariably move ahead of the other, even if their goals aren\u2019t personal.<\/p>\n That\u2019s all well and good, but it\u2019s not as sexy without the narratives. And Saturday, we got a really good sense of just how invested the NFL and ESPN are in maintaining a particular narrative.<\/p>\n The Browns took on the Philadelphia Eagles in a preseason matchup in which Gabriel got the nod to start at quarterback (Sanders, who had an impressive performance in the first preseason game<\/a>, is nursing an oblique injury). The Oregon product put together a respectable effort on the field, passing for 143 yards and completing 72.2 percent of his passes in one half of work. He led three scoring drives, but did throw one interception<\/a>, though replays revealed that it was due more to the receiver than him<\/a>. He also lost one fumble.<\/p>\n If you watched the game, you probably came away feeling like Gabriel did an adequate job. At times, he looked every bit the rookie he is, but he also proved himself capable and worthy of further opportunities. If you didn\u2019t watch the game and only looked at his stat line, it would be very easy to presume he had a terrible day. Depending on which story you want to tell, you could build the narrative you were looking to support.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s what ESPN\u2019s NFL insider Adam Schefter posted on X after the game.<\/p>\n Browns QB Dillon Gabriel\u2019s preseason debut in Philadelphia: pic.twitter.com\/VZr7mdJnHh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Schefter covered news and updates from several NFL preseason games on Saturday, but this was the only instance where he shared a graphic with a player\u2019s stats. Purposefully or not, he also did so without providing any of that context above. And sure enough, the comments were a mix of people anointing Sanders following this poor showing and others attempting to offer the context left unsaid.<\/p>\n Speaking of content that lacked proper context, Gabriel was interviewed during the third quarter of the game after Huntley had replaced him. In that interview, he uttered the phrase, \u201cThere\u2019s entertainers and there\u2019s competitors\u2026 and my job is to compete.\u201d The NFL\u2019s official social media accounts shared that clip.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s entertainers and there\u2019s competitors\u2026 and my job is to compete.\u201d \u2013 @_dillongabriel_<\/a><\/p>\n Watch on @NFLNetwork<\/a> \u2014 NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Many people\u2019s first reaction to hearing that comment was to assume Gabriel was taking a shot at Sanders. In fact, given the lack of further context and the fact that the NFL account went out of its way to include that quote in the post along with the video<\/a>, that seemed almost certain.<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, Shefter also shared the clip as-is<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, when the question that Browns TV reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala asked Gabriel came to light (\u201cYou gave us some fabulous wisdom on how you tune out the noise and you don\u2019t let it infiltrate yourself; will you share that with everybody at home?\u201d), it became apparent that his response had absolutely nothing to do with Sanders.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the question leading up to it for proper context\u2026<\/p>\n Browns QB Dillon Gabriel was asked by Aditi Kinkhabwala, \u201cYou gave us some fabulous wisdom on how you tune out the noise and you don\u2019t let it infiltrate yourself; will you share that with everybody at home?\u201d #NFL<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/saZD2XxgDY<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XhCSlaDWlu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Kinkhabwala called out the NFL X account<\/a> for taking the quote out of context, and Gabriel confirmed after the game<\/a> that the \u201centertainers\u201d in question were the media, not Sanders.<\/p>\n And so, the official accounts of the NFL and ESPN\u2019s top NFL reporter spent their Saturday going out of their way to offer content that promoted a particular narrative about Gabriel and Sanders, omitting critical context and information in both instances. It\u2019s true that both cases provide plausible deniability and could be explained away, but it\u2019s hard not to feel intent, even if it wasn\u2019t done consciously.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame because Gabriel is not the villain in Sanders\u2019 story any more than Sanders is the villain in his. It\u2019s the epitome of a \u201cmay the best man win\u201d scenario. There\u2019s something noble about these two young men giving it everything they have to make it in the NFL while competing against one another.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s something rather ignoble about watching the league and its broadcasting partner concoct drama that doesn\u2019t exist for clicks at the expense of their character.<\/p>\n \t
Stream on @NFLPlus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/pe4p8bmZhc<\/a><\/p>\n