Dillon Gabriel’s preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles was supposed to be an exhibition about two things: his NFL debut and whether he stacks up against Shedeur Sanders‘s Week 1 performance. The third-round pick did have some bright spots on Friday, completing 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards, but a lone pick-six ended up overshadowing much of his solid work.
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Fortunately or unfortunately, his interception didn’t last long as a headline. Instead, it was his sideline interview that quickly went viral.
“There are entertainers and there are competitors… My job is to compete, and that’s what I’m focused on,” Gabriel said in his media interaction. “I just want to be the best teammate I can and create an environment where we can do our best work.”
At face value, it sounded like a harmless statement. But in today’s NFL, where every word is scrutinized, many wondered if the Oregon alum was taking a subtle jab at fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Why Sanders? The former Buffs star, who sat out the game with an oblique injury, has long been tagged with the “entertainer” label, a reputation that follows him not only because of his own personality but also because of his father, Deion “Primetime” Sanders, one of the greatest showmen the sport has ever seen.
Naturally, Gabriel’s quote didn’t escape the ears of Shannon Sharpe, who addressed the moment on Nightcap with Chad Johnson.
“I think he was taking a shot at Shedeur,” the Broncos legend said bluntly. “You name the time you’ve ever heard someone say there are entertainers and there are competitors. Tell me the time.”
His co-host, Chad Johnson, pushed back, suggesting Gabriel’s words were misunderstood. Sharpe, however, doubled down on his take.
“We’ve heard people say that’s what he’s more interested in doing. Sometimes it seeps out when you’ve been around people, and if you’re not careful, you’ll repeat what you’ve heard someone say about someone. He didn’t have to say that,” the ex-NFL TE said.
Sharpe even went further, highlighting the false separation between “entertainers” and “competitors”:
“Floyd Mayweather was an entertainer, but he was a competitor. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James — entertainers and fierce competitors. So to make those two things mutually exclusive is just not true.”
Once the comment blew up, Gabriel was quick to clarify his statement, insisting that his “entertainer” reference was aimed at the media, not his teammate. “Well, all [of] you in this room are entertainers, and you have a job to do, and I respect it,” Gabriel explained. “And I’m a competitor, so I have a job to do as well… I would never make that [comment about Shedeur].”
Whether Gabriel meant it as a shot at Sanders or not, what’s certain is that this viral moment has now added another subplot to Cleveland’s quarterback room.
