Shedeur Sanders Says 'Things Could Be A Lot Worse,' Talks Dillon Gabriel Relationship

Heading into the second day of Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp on Saturday, Shedeur Sanders is maintaining a positive attitude following his slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's practice, Sanders said "things could be a lot worse" when talking about waiting until day three of the draft to come off the board (starts at 15:05 mark).

Sanders also said his initial interactions and relationship with third-round pick Dillon Gabriel have been "cool and normal" thus far.

"He always has a great mood. You know, he's always in a good mood. I've only been around him two days though," Sanders joked about Gabriel. "He always has a great mood, but overall I can tell he's a good person."

Cleveland's quarterback room figures to be one of the most fascinating position battles to follow throughout training camp and preseason.

Taking Deshaun Watson out of the equation due to his uncertain status after reinjuring his Achilles in January, the Browns are picking a 2025 starter from a group that includes Sanders, Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

There's currently no clear favorite for the job, but Flacco is reportedly going to enter camp as QB1 on the depth chart.

Another potential development that could be worth monitoring throughout the preseason is if one of those four quarterbacks ends up not on the Browns' roster when the regular season begins.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on the Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter that people around the NFL "wouldn't be surprised" if one of them gets traded.

It can be reasonably argued that Sanders and Gabriel are the most talented quarterbacks currently on Cleveland's roster. Flacco is still capable of making big plays because of his arm strength, but he doesn't offer much else now that he's 40 years old.

Pickett hasn't been a full-time starter since suffering a sprained ankle in Week 13 of the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made one start last season with the Philadelphia Eagles last year when Jalen Hurts was out with a finger injury in Week 17.

B/R's NFL scouting department ranked Sanders definitively above Gabriel in the 2025 draft class. He was the No. 2 quarterback and 23rd-ranked prospect overall. Gabriel was the 10th-best quarterback and No. 163 overall player.

The Browns disagreed with that ranking based on taking Gabriel two rounds and 50 picks before Sanders, but they are going to get to see what both of them can do.

Sanders, to his credit, doesn't seem like he's putting any additional pressure on himself to make sure everyone knows he should have been drafted sooner. His work on the field can speak for him as the Browns look for an answer at quarterback coming off a 3-14 record last season.