The Browns now have both their rookie quarterbacks inked to contracts as the battle for the starting role in Cleveland heats up.
Dillon Gabriel, who the Browns selected with the No. 94 overall pick in the third round ahead of Shedeur Sanders, put pen to paper of a four-year rookie deal Wednesday.
Sanders, who suffered NFL Draft humiliation before the Browns finally traded up to select him with the No. 144 overall pick one day after Gabriel, signed his own contract last month.
It is currently unclear how much Gabriel’s contract is worth. However, Sanders’ own four-year deal was worth a reported $4.6 million that included a $447,000 signing bonus.
But both rookies are facing a challenge in an overcrowded quarterback room in Cleveland.
The Browns currently have five signal callers on their roster. While Deshaun Watson is currently injured, veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are in the fray for the starting position.
Dillon Gabriel, who the Browns selected with the No. 94 overall pick, signed his rookie deal
The quarterback was selected ahead of Shedeur Sanders who inked his own deal last month
While it’s unlikely Sanders or Gabriel will start at the beginning of the 2025 season, reports last month suggested the former Colorado Buffaloes star had the edge over his fellow rookie.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson made it clear during an appearance on the the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show that Sanders was making noise.
‘I watch him. He is talented. I hear things, he’s handling things well,’ he said. ‘We’ll see… He’s gonna have to win every single day in the meetings, in the asking questions, in the practices, just to earn more chances.’
While Jackson believes that Sanders is capable of meeting that challenge, he doesn’t think the same of Gabriel, referring to him as ‘the other guy’: ‘I don’t see the other guy impressing at all, and I’m not trying to be personal with him.
‘He does not look like an NFL quarterback and 31 other draft rooms didn’t think he was a second-day pick. So he’s gonna have to earn those too.’
More to follow.
