Cleveland Browns fans may have to wait until Week 2 of the preseason to see rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in game action.
Shedeur Sanders and Tyler “Snoop” Huntley will be the only quarterbacks getting snaps during Friday’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday.
Stefanski specified that the goal of playing Huntley was to get him “back up to speed.” Sanders is “expected to play a lot,” per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
“Shedeur and Snoop will be the quarterbacks that are playing in this game, and Snoop just got off the airplane yesterday, so. Catch him up,” Stefanski said.
Sanders will have limited first-string targets to work with during his pro debut. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman will not play during the preseason opener, per Stefanski.
When asked about why Gabriel wouldn’t be taking any snaps during the preseason opener, Stefanski answered, “Just being very careful with him. Don’t want to expose him to any unnecessary strain.”
Stefanski also said that Sanders’ upcoming start does not mean he will be getting additional reps with the team’s first-string offense this week.
“I think, with a lot of our younger guys, the majority of their reps are going to come in the football game. Today’s going to be more about some of the older guys and the starters,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski added that Pickett and Gabriel will be participating in 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday, but that they will both remain “limited.”
Both Sanders and Gabriel have been limited in practice this week, Sanders with soreness in his throwing arm and shoulder and Gabriel with tightness in his hamstring.
Pickett has meanwhile been limited by a hamstring injury for the last week.
The Browns’ first unofficial depth chart of the 2025 preseason listed Joe Flacco as QB1, Kenny Pickett as backup and Gabriel as the third-string option, followed by Sanders in the fourth-string position.
The team announced Huntley’s signing on Tuesday amid the injuries to Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. Huntley, who spent last summer’s training camp in Cleveland before he was released in August, most recently played with the Miami Dolphins as a replacement for an injury Tua Tagovailoa.
Stefanski said that his goal for Huntley was to make sure he understood the offense’s communication, and that his goal for Sanders and the rest of his players was to apply the things they’ve learned in practice in a game setting.
“My expectations for Shedeur are no different than the rest of the guys… We expect them to go operate,” Stefanski told reporters. “When you get in these preseason games, you try to keep it very simple, so guys can play fast, all concepts that our players know and just kind of not think too much and just play ball.”
Stefanski continued, “He’s excited. He knew he was going to play a good bit in these preseason games, so the competitor in him is very excited.”
The Browns’ “hope” is that Pickett or Gabriel will be able to play in Week 2 of the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles, Stefanski said, but both quarterbacks’ status will depend on their injury status going forward.
Sanders and the Browns will kick off the preseason on Friday with a 7 p.m. ET road game against the Panthers.
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