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By Hunter Simpson
Contributing Sports Writer
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Ahead of the Cleveland Browns’ Week 5 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in London, the team announced that rookie Dillon Gabriel would be replacing Joe Flacco as the team’s starting quarterback.
Gabriel was the No. 94 overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, and he's set to make the first start of his career on Sunday against an unorthodox Vikings defense.
The Oregon alum has seen the field briefly this season in the Browns’ blowout losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions, and though it was a small sample size, Gabriel definitely showed some flashes. He completed all three of his passes for 19 yards, including a touchdown pass to rookie running back Dylan Sampson.
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His performance during training camp and he preseason earned Gabriel the No. 2 job behind Flacco, and now with the latter struggling (and the team's offense), Gabriel gets a chance to show what he can do while fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was drafted in the fifth round of this year’s draft, continues to wait his turn.
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Sanders Refuses to Speak to Media About Browns QB Situation
Following the Browns’ decision to start Gabriel, reporters had an opportunity to interview Sanders in the locker room on Wednesday.
He was asked a question about Cleveland’s decision to make a quarterback change, but he refused to actually speak about it. Instead, he appeared to mime his answer to the reporters.
Sanders' behavior caught many by surprise on social media.
"He doesn’t want to refuse the interview but he also doesn’t want the media to flip his words," one fan wrote.
"Whatever he says they spin it then when he doesn’t speak it’s stilllll a problem," another fan added.
"How hard is it to say 'I wish Dillon the best of luck, I’ll be here if the team calls on me.' I mean seriously," one user asked.
"This is lowkey kinda weird how he kept it going. Even when the question was asked about Flacco," declared another user.
"I don’t even blame Shedeur because he just answering questions.The Browns should make him unavailable to interview in the facilities and the media needs to be criticized for interviewing a 3 string QB," another fan remarked.
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This odd behavior from Sanders came after NFL insider Dan Graziano listed him among quarterbacks who could potentially be traded by the deadline.
While it’s unlikely the Browns would trade any of their QBs given the inconsistency of play they've gotten at the position, this could be a sign that Sanders is becoming growingly frustrated sitting on the bench.
More NFL: NFL Insider Hints at 'Possible' Shedeur Sanders Trade Before Deadline
It was reported that Sanders declined to be drafted by the Baltimore Ravens as he didn’t want to back up Lamar Jackson, but given Jackson's recent injury and likelihood of missing multiple games, Sanders' name has been connected to Baltimore again.
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