Another week, another round of hot takes flying around the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition.
This time, it’s Dillon Gabriel supposedly being “way ahead” of Shedeur Sanders coming out of mandatory minicamp. And while that might make for a great podcast or quick headlines, let’s be real — it's only June.
And in June, nothing is decided.
These offseason evaluations — especially at quarterback — are rarely the full story. They’re a snapshot. A glimpse. A rep count on a whiteboard that might not matter come September.
What are we really judging here?
Yes, Gabriel is reportedly getting more first-team looks. Yes, Shedeur is seeing second and third-team reps. And yes, on paper, that sounds like a pecking order is already forming.
But, you guys: this is normal.
Shedeur is learning an NFL system for the first time. He’s walking into a QB room that includes Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett — two veterans with actual playoff wins on their resumes. Of course he’s not being handed first-team reps in June.
That’s not a knock. That’s just how this works.
Shorts and T-Shirts are never the whole story
I’ve seen it a hundred times — guys who look clean and sharp in OTAs, only to fade when the tempo ramps up in August. And I’ve seen the opposite too — players who don’t shine in 7-on-7s but turn it on the second things get live.
Summer football is about installation, not evaluation. You’re scripting plays. No real contact. No disguise on defense. No collapsing pockets. It’s quarterback-friendly by design, which makes overreacting to it all the more pointless.
What’s happening now in Berea is part of the process. It’s not the finish line.
The big picture in Cleveland
There’s no doubt Shedeur has an uphill battle this year. The Browns are in win-now mode. They’re deep at quarterback.
But let’s not act like Dillon Gabriel locking in a few good reps in shorts changes the arc of Shedeur’s career.
And even if Gabriel has the edge right now, the margins in June are nothing compared to what happens in camp, in preseason, and in meetings.
This story isn’t close to finished.
This isn’t a knock on Gabriel. He’s a good player, and he may be successful in the league. But the idea that Shedeur Sanders is “falling behind” based on a few June practices misses the point.
Let’s see what happens when the pads come on. When the pocket collapses. And we'll see how fast everybody will ditch Dillon Gabriel the first bad preseason game he has.
For now, let’s all take a breath and remember what time of year it is.
It’s June. Not January.
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