Stephen A. Smith fires back at Dillon Gabriel’s ‘Entertainer’ quip
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith takes issue with Browns QB Dillon Gabriel's "entertainer" comment, a perceived slight towards Shedeur Sanders.
The position of starting QB for the Cleveland Browns is up for grabs. But contenders Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are seemingly not on the best of terms.
On Saturday, Gabriel commented on “entertainers vs. competitors during the Browns' preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“There’s entertainers and there’s competitors,” Gabriel said. “And I totally understand that. And my job is to compete and that’s what I’m focused on doing.”
Some took it as a slight against Sanders, but Gabriel said it wasn't. On Monday, Stephen A. Smith made it clear on ESPN's First Take that he didn't think it was a slight, but was nevertheless a “dumb comment”.
“I never believed he was talking about Shedeur Sanders,” Smith said. “I totally believed him when he said he was talking about the media.”
“It was stupid, a very dumb comment to make. First of all, in every walk of life, far beyond the perimeters of a football field, people are competing. We compete here on television. You compete on radio shows, you compete on Wall Street, you compete on Madison Avenue.”
Furthermore, Smith reiterated Gabriel's contention that it was not about Sanders.
“It was a stupid, idiotic, immature comment because clearly you were feeling the heat because a lot of people were talking about how Shedeur should be QB number two. But I know he was not talking about Shedeur Sanders he was talking about the media. Here’s the problem you now heightened the level of scrutiny coming your way.”
The Browns defeated the Eagles 22-13. Gabriel went completed 13 passes on 18 attempts for 143 passing yards and had one interception.
Joe Flacco wins Browns’ 4-way QB competition
Joe Flacco is the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Browns after winning a very crowded competition at the position.
The Cleveland Browns have one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in football, but now they have announced a starter. Veteran Joe Flacco will get the nod in Week 1 for Kevin Stefanski's group, the team announced in a post on social media on Monday.
The 40-year old has not seen any action during the preseason as the Browns get a closer look at Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, both of whom were selected by Cleveland in the NFL Draft. Kenny Pickett, who was traded to Cleveland this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, also has not played in either preseason game due to a hamstring injury.
Still, it will be Flacco to get the season started for the Browns as they look to return to playoff contention in a very competitive AFC North division.
This is a reunion for Flacco and the Browns after he spent last season in a quarterback carousel with Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. He started five games for the Browns in 2023, leading Cleveland to the playoffs despite an injury-riddled season and winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in the process.
Stefanski and the Browns are certainly hoping that Flacco can bring some of that same magic during this 2025 season despite what will be a heated competition behind him. Pickett will want to take some snaps in order to prove that he can still be a starter in the league, while Gabriel and Sanders will be looking to show their skills after being selected in the third and fifth round, respectively.
The Browns also have Deshaun Watson presumably returning from his torn Achilles at some point this season, even though he will start the season on the PUP list. It's obviously unlikely that the Browns are going to keep all of these quarterbacks on the roster for the entire season, so there could be a trade involving one of them coming up soon.
The one on the way out won't be Flacco, who will look to rediscover his best form even as he enters his 40s in Cleveland as the main guy heading into the regular season.
