{"id":191002,"date":"2025-10-05T06:12:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T06:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/191002\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T06:12:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T06:12:13","slug":"shedeur-sanders-has-1-word-message-for-dillon-gabriel-before-1st-nfl-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/191002\/","title":{"rendered":"Shedeur Sanders Has 1-Word Message for Dillon Gabriel Before 1st NFL Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shedeur Sanders made sure to quiet any talk that he doesn’t support fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel by taking to social media ahead of the Cleveland Browns<\/a>‘ Week 5 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in London. <\/p>\n

Gabriel, a third-round pick out of Oregon, will start the first game of his NFL<\/a> career on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sanders will remain the third-string\/emergency quarterback behind veteran Joe Flacco, whom the Browns demoted in favor of Gabriel earlier this week.<\/p>\n

“Joe is the backup,” head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed<\/a> during a media session on Friday. “Shedeur is the emergency quarterback.”<\/p>\n

Sanders hasn’t held back his opinion that he’s ready to play in the NFL right now. <\/p>\n

However, the fifth-round pick out of Colorado took to his personal Instagram account on Saturday and made a point to show everyone that he supports Gabriel heading into the contest with the Vikings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sanders captioned the post to his story with one word before tagging Gabriel. <\/p>\n

“#Dawgs,” Sanders wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The post also functions as a message of support to Gabriel himself, after the two spent the summer battling for position on the depth chart.<\/p>\n

Gabriel ultimately out-dueled Sanders during training camp and the preseason to claim the QB2 spot behind Flacco. Sanders landed as the third-string signal-caller after Cleveland traded fourth-year QB Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for a fifth-round pick ahead of the regular season.<\/p>\n

Read More: Vikings Cut Ties With 4,000-Yard QB on Eve of Browns Showdown in London<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Shedeur<\/p>\n

Flacco started the first four games of the year, leading the Browns to a 1-3 record with a struggling offense producing just 14 points per contest. Stefanski removed Flacco after he completed just 58.1% of his 160 pass attempts for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gabriel faces a uniquely difficult first start, as it is on a neutral field in a foreign country and against a quality defense in Minnesota that is known for confusing quarterbacks, especially those without a great deal of experience. The Vikings have the third-best pass defense in the NFL, allowing 151.5 passing yards per game.<\/p>\n

The Browns were 3.5-point underdogs on Saturday night, per ESPN BET.<\/p>\n

Read More: Shedeur Sanders Breaks Silence on Browns\u2019 Rumored QB Plans<\/a><\/p>\n