Shannon Sharpe mistakenly blasts Dillon Gabriel for Dan Lanning's "play for clicks" speech during 2023 Oregon-Colorado matchup

NFL: Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn
Shannon Sharpe mistakenly blasts Dillon Gabriel for Dan Lanning's "play for clicks" speech during 2023 Oregon-Colorado matchup - Source: Imagn

Dillon Gabriel made his preseason debut for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday during their 22-13 victory over the Eagles. After Shedeur Sanders' stellar performance last week, the pressure was on the ex-Oregon star. He completed 13 of the 18 passes he attempted while recording 143 passing yards with no touchdowns.

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During a sideline interview, Gabriel made headlines after his comments about "entertainers and competitors" and how his "job is to compete." People interpreted it as a jab at his rookie teammate, Shedeur Sanders. He later cleared the air about his statement, stating that 'entertainers are all competitors.'

Former NFL star Chad Ochocinco and Shannon Sharpe also addressed Dillon Gabriel's comments on the 'Nightcap' show on Saturday. However, Sharpe made a mistake thinking Gabriel was a part of the Ducks team in 2023 when Dan Lanning made his infamous 'they play for clicks' speech.

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Bo Nix was the team's QB1 back then, while Gabriel was playing for Oklahoma at the time.

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"He (Gabriel) tried to clarify later at the presser saying he meant the media are the entertainers and the competitor and he's a competitor. And he wasn't taking a shot at Shedeur. But the damage was done," Sharpe said. "Everybody know what he meant by, because you know why? You remember at Oregon? What the head coach said? When they played Colorado? Who was the quarterback?"
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You can check out the clip below:

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The Browns acquired Dillon Gabriel in the third round of this year's NFL draft. They also brought in Shedeur Sanders with the 144th pick. Thus, there is a four-way competition for the starting QB job between the rookies and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Shedeur Sanders couldn't play in Saturday's game due to an oblique injury. However, Coach Prime's son is expected to make a comeback very soon. On the other hand, Gabriel recovered from a hamstring injury he was dealing with over the past couple of days.

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Former NFL scout has high praise for Dillon Gabriel despite lacklustre preseason debut

Compared to Shedeur Sanders' performance last week, Gabriel had underwhelming stats against the Eagles. However, ex-Jets scout Daniel Kelly was still impressed with the quarterback's performance.

Kelly shared a tweet on X praising the rookie's performance.

"Hats off to Dillon Gabriel. Talk about a response! He got thrown to the wolves against the Eagles and despite all the Shedeur Sanders noise... 72.2% first half completion percentage in his first preseason start in Philadelphia. Says a lot."
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It is unlikely that Dillon Gabriel ends up as the Browns' starting quarterback for 2025. However, he will have another chance to prove his worth during their final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on August 23.

Cleveland Browns Nation! Check out the latest Cleveland Browns Schedule and dive into the Browns Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra
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