Dillon Gabriel’s viral quote wasn’t the Shedeur Sanders jab fans believed it was

The Cleveland Browns quarterback battle has had plenty of twists and turns throughout training camp and the preseason, but Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles featured a slight miscommunication that turned into a viral moment of faux drama.

Dillon Gabriel, selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, got an opportunity to start for the first time after his teammate Shedeur Sanders was ruled out with an oblique strain earlier in the week. Gabriel put on a decent performance in response to Sanders' excellent debut the week before, completing 13 of 18 attempts for 143 yards and and interception in the 22-13 victory.

But it's what Gabriel said mid-game that raised eyebrows on the internet.

"There's entertainers and there's competitors," he said on the sideline, appearing to refer to Cleveland's QB competition with Sanders and others. "My job is to compete and that's what I'm focused on doing... Just want to be the best teammate I can and create an environment where we can all do our best work."

Dillon Gabriel's mic drop wasn't shade at Shedeur Sanders after all

After the game, Gabriel spoke to reporters where he was asked about his mid-game comment, which took off online with those thinking he was shading Sanders' for his flashy style. He made it clear his words were in no way directed towards his teammate but instead "entertainers" was in reference to the media.

"I'm all about our team," he insisted. "I would never think that [about Sanders] and I've said that before which is why it's interesting. But for me, I've explained the entertainers are you all, I'm a competitor, that's what I am and all my teammates and we both have jobs to do. So, that's it."

It's easy to see where fans and even the press could've seen how Gabriel's comments could've been aimed, especially with narratives surrounding the team's perceived favoritism towards him over Sanders of late.

But in the end, things will be decided on the gridiron like Gabriel said. He and Sanders appear to be well positioned to challenge veterans Joe Flaccofor starting reps this season, even if they don't come immediately in Week 1.