Browns QB Dillon Gabriel said after the preseason game against Philadelphia that a viral quote from an in-game interview wasn't about Shedeur Sanders.
PHILADELPHIA — Dillon Gabriel was hurt by a couple of turnovers that spoiled what was otherwise a solid NFL debut Aug. 16 in the Browns' 22-13 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some are wondering if Gabriel may have had a similar moment during an interview with sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala during the Browns' television broadcast on News 5 Cleveland (WEWS).
Kinkhabwala asked Gabriel during the game about the ability to "handle the noise" that has surrounded him throughout the process.
"There's entertainers and there's competitors... my job is to compete."@_dillongabriel_ is focused in. pic.twitter.com/FyjcztPPlF
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
“There are entertainers and there are competitors, and I totally understand that,” Gabriel said during the broadcast. “And my job is to compete, and that’s what I’m focused on doing. Of course, we're doing this [interview] midgame, but it’s something that I’ll get used to and I just want to be the best teammate that I can be and create an environment where we can all go do our best work. That’s all we want to do.”
The clip almost immediately went viral. There were more than a few who took it as a veiled shot at fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Gabriel was asked after the game about the quote. He was directly asked about how it was seen as a shot at Sanders.
"First off, I am all about our team, you know what I mean?" Gabriel said. "And each other. I would never make that, and I've said it before, that's why it's interesting. But, for me, I've explained it. Entertainers are you all [in the media]. Competitor, that's what I am and all my teammates, and we both have jobs to do. So that's it."
Asked if he was referring to the media as "entertainers," Gabriel said, "Yeah, I just said that."
Gabriel was making his first start just over a week after Sanders made his debut in the Browns' preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers. Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns in just under three quarters of play against the Panthers.
Gabriel, a third-round pick out of Oregon, was 13-of-18 passing for 138 yards with an interception that was returned for a touchdown and also fumbled on a missed handoff. However, he, like Sanders, did lead three scoring drives, although two were for field goals.
"All of you in this room are entertainers and you have a job to do and I respect it, right?" Gabriel said. "And I'm a competitor so I have a job to do as well. And I think just understanding that, that's how I've lived by, and I've said that multiple times. So definitely not a new quote, but something that I've definitely said before."
Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dillon Gabriel denies 'entertainers' line was shot at Shedeur Sanders
Category: General Sports
