Why is Dillon Gabriel not playing tonight? Browns rookie QB's status revealed for preseason opener vs Panthers

Cleveland Browns Training Camp - Source: Getty
Why is Dillon Gabriel not playing tonight? Browns rookie QB's status revealed for preseason opener vs Panthers - Source: Getty

Among the Cleveland Browns players who will not play in Friday's first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers are quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett. The fierce quarterback competition amongst the Browns' five passers, Gabriel, Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Huntley and Joe Flacco, has frequently made headlines this offseason.

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However, fans will have to wait till later this preseason to see both Pickett and Gabriel as they are just recovering from hamstring injuries.

The Browns don't want to put Gabriel at more risk by playing him against Carolina. He took part in 7-on-7 drills in the joint session Cleveland had with the Panthers on Wednesday, but coach Kevin Stefanski declared following the practice that Sanders and Huntley would be the only quarterbacks taking snaps for the first preseason game.

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“Just being very careful with him. Don’t want to expose him to any unnecessary strain, if you will,” Stefanski said of Gabriel on Wednesday.

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Gabriel might play in the next preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 16th if he regains full fitness.

According to Stefanski, Flacco, 40, doesn't need the preseason minutes at this stage of his career; therefore, he won't play any snaps on Friday. He is anticipated to take preseason reps later this month, though.

"Joe’s seen it all and he relies on his experience, but I think it’d be unfair to Joe to give him nothing. Because number one, he’s got to stay sharp," Stefanski said. "Technically, he needs to work on all those fundamentals and types of things. But also, he wants to show what he can do. And I think his teammates want to see it as well."
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Sanders will be the team's starting quarterback against the Panthers. This will be a great chance for the fifth-round pick to gain some momentum.

How to watch the Browns' Week 1 preseason game against the Panthers?

Shedeur Sanders will be the center of attention for the Browns on Friday when he plays in his first NFL exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers.

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NFL Network will broadcast the Browns vs. Panthers preseason game, which is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Game details:

Date and Time: Friday, Aug. 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: NFL Network

Announcers: Chris Rose (play-by-play), Joe Thomas (color analyst), and Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporter)

Live Streaming: NFL+, FuboTV

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 Krutik Jain
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