With a quarterback competition in Cleveland that has been fairly unprecedented, Dillon Gabriel was at the center of attention on Saturday.
The Browns rookie, one of four passers that were vying for the team's starting job, got the start in Week 2 of the preseason against the Eagles. Despite throwing a pick-six, it wasn't a terrible performance for Gabriel, who completed over 70 percent of his passes. However, Gabriel's numbers wound up taking somewhat of a backseat to his postgame comments.
Once the former Oregon quarterback's day was over in the third quarter, he made a comment in an interview that some fans believe was directed at teammate Shedeur Sanders, who started in Cleveland's first preseason game.
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Here's what Gabriel said, how he clarified his words, and why fans interpreted it as a shot toward Sanders.
MORE: Grading Dillon Gabriel's preseason debut
Dillon Gabriel 'entertainers' interview
With the rest of the Browns' quarterback room beat up, Gabriel made his preseason debut on Saturday against Philadelphia. Sanders started in Week 1, but for Week 2, it was Gabriel and backup Tyler Huntley who got the call.
MORE: Latest updates on Shedeur Sanders' oblique injury
Gabriel went 13-for-18 with 143 passing yards, no touchdowns, and an interception before Huntley stepped in. Perhaps most notably, the rookie made a postgame comment that caught fans' attention.
“There’s entertainers and there’s competitors, and I totally understand that, but my job is to compete," Gabriel said about his performance. "That's what I'm focused on doing. Of course, we're doing this [interview] mid-game, but it's something I'll get used to, and just want to be the best teammate that I can and create an environment where we can all go do our best work."
"There's entertainers and there's competitors... my job is to compete."@_dillongabriel_ is focused in. pic.twitter.com/FyjcztPPlF
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
It wasn't the back-half of those comments that had fans questioning Gabriel, but the first few words. Some thought he was inferring that Sanders, who started in Week 1 and had a highly-publicized preseason debut for a fifth-round quarterback, was more of an "entertainer" than "competitor."
However, Gabriel was given an opportunity to clarify his comments after the game, and he made it clear that he had no intention of taking a dig at his teammate in the quarterback room.
"I would never make that [shot at Sanders]. I've said it before, that's why it's interesting," Gabriel said. "I've explained it, entertainers are [the media], competitor, that's what I am and all my teammates, and we both have jobs to do. So, that's it."
#Browns Dillon Gabriel clarifies he meant the media are the entertainers and he’s a competitor and that he wasn’t taking a shot at Shedeur Sanders: “I’m all about the team” pic.twitter.com/I4EVCVmmxR
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 16, 2025
On Thursday, Sanders said that Gabriel approached him about the "entertainers" comments to clarify that the comments were not about him.
"He told me on the plane, he was like, 'Nah, bro, that wasn't [about] you,'" Sanders said. "I'm not tripping, regardless of whatever it was, nobody's words or anything affects me."
"Do I feel like he [was talking about me]? I don't know. And that's not on me, to sit here and be like, 'Oh, he did, he didn't.' That's not going to change my life in any way."
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders said fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel approached him on the plane last week to tell him the entertainers-and-competitors quote was not about him. Sanders’ comments on the whole ordeal. pic.twitter.com/BjHIiUbBxU
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 21, 2025
Based on his clarification, Gabriel's "entertainers" comment was not about Sanders, but rather those who are hyping up the quarterback competition: the media and fans.
MORE: Where Browns' QB battle stands after second preseason game
Social media reacts to Dillon Gabriel 'entertainers' comment
While Gabriel did clarify that he did not intentionally take a shot at Sanders, some fans were questioning his comments prior to his postgame presser. It's well-known that Sanders has a significant fanbase himself, and they didn't take Gabriel's words as a real vote of confidence for his teammate.
“There’s entertainers and then there’s competitors.” Dillon Gabriel sure knows how to keep us at the edge of our seats 🤦🏽♂️😆 I didn’t miss that shot at Shedeur https://t.co/MDc4YieiAJ
— Lashon Evans (@LashonEvans216) August 16, 2025
You can’t tell me this wasn’t a Shedur Sanders diss.
— Caleb Williams Fan Club (@CalebFC18) August 16, 2025
That’s a clear shot at Sanders
— OldTimeHardball (@OleTimeHardball) August 16, 2025
Others were backing Gabriel for his clarification and for being a good teammate:
Anyone that thinks Dillon Gabriel was taking a shot at a teammate hasn’t spent any time around Dillon Gabriel. https://t.co/aCqBdoSU0u
— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) August 16, 2025
It's kind of unfortunate that the NFL's official account is tweeting this out without the actual question—which was how Gabriel and the QBs are trying to make sure the outside noise doesn't infiltrate what's going on internally.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 16, 2025
It wasn't a shot at Shedeur. https://t.co/dSvMtLbIAD