After the NFL Draft humbled Shedeur Sanders, knocking him down from a sure-shot top-10 pick to a fifth-rounder, he had been working hard to prove his critics wrong. Locked in during practice, Shedeur is trying his best to make the roster. Or, as some suggest, even push for the QB1 spot over veteran Joe Flacco.
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Throughout minicamp, reports suggested that Shedeur was making progress at an impressive rate. He was proving to be very precise and confident in his reads. Even the numbers suggested he was probably the best of the bunch. But the former Colorado star was taking second-team reps alongside Dillon Gabriel, the Browns’ third-round pick.
And despite Gabriel being picked off a few times, Browns insiders continued to describe the competition between the rookies as neck and neck. Now, with training camp just a week away, dark clouds have started to loom over Deion Sanders’ son once again.
A tweet from NFL Rumors claims that Shedeur “is reportedly 4th on the QB Depth Chart behind Dillon Gabriel.” This murmur took social media by storm and divided the NFL world. It contradicts all the progress Shedeur had reportedly made throughout the offseason.
Some even called a cap on the rumors, claiming that the “training camp hasn’t even started yet… Does it even matter right now?” Now, that’s a valid question, considering how roster depth often gets reshuffled, especially after major roster changes during or after training camp.
But that didn’t stop the doubters from chiming in with their ‘told you so’ takes. One fan claimed, “If you expected anything different, you do not understand football.”
Some offered a more measured take: “That’s not a surprise if you’re following the team from an unbiased eye. I’ll also add that doesn’t mean he will stay there long. He has every opportunity to win the starting spot.”
Another user wrote, “Gabriel was always better. Started in a better system for a better program in a more respected school.”
This fan stated, “What happened to all the early reports that he was lighting it up? [laughing and crying emoji]”
What happened to all the early reports that he was lighting it up? 😂
— Joseph Alexander (@IMjoefree) July 12, 2025
Meanwhile, a Shedeur fan commented, “Dillon Gabriel has no merch on the Browns website store. Meanwhile, Shedeur’s is the first face you see on the website. But oh yeah, fifth-round draft pick. Uh-huh. Yep.”
Setting all the buzz aside, and with training camp approaching, Shedeur still has plenty of opportunity to make the roster. He could even take the starting spot — if not in Week One, then by midseason.
