The Cleveland Browns suffered a decisive 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, dropping their record to 3-9. The game marked the second career start for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It wasn’t pretty. Sanders completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown.
The fifth-round draft pick will get another chance to show off his skills as a starter this week against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans, clearly one of the worst teams in the league with a 1-11 record, might be an opportunity for Shedeur to shine.
One person doesn’t seem to be thrilled about Sanders starting. And she’s stirring up trouble on social media. The worst possible person, perhaps – Dillon Gabriel’s fiancée, Zo Caswell.
That’s right, the man chosen earlier in the draft than Sanders, and who was starting for Cleveland before an injury. It’s his girlfriend who is causing trouble.
After the loss to the Niners, Caswell posted a TikTok video of her picking out her outfit for the game while taking a pointed jab at the Browns.
“Browns lost what’s new,” she wrote, adding a laughing emoji.
@zoe.caswell Browns lost what’s new😂#nflfootball #nflfootball #getdressedwithme #gamedaygrwm ♬ original sound – Zo
Takes another shot at Shedeur Sanders
Things got worse when Gabriel’s significant other started responding to fans in the comments section. Critics suggested the timing of her comment was suspect at best. The only time she’s written something like that, and it just so happens it’s Shedeur Sanders’ first loss as a starter.
She contends that’s not the case.
“I completely support the team 100%! Gotta laugh about the losses, or we’ll cry,” she said.
But in another comment, Caswell gave away the game, claiming all of the other Browns players would rather have Gabriel starting over Sanders.
“Nobody in that locker room respects (him),” one fan said of Gabriel in a comment.
“Actually, everyone in the building wants him to play,” Caswell fired back. “But you wouldn’t know that bc you’ve never played in the NFL or been a (coach), right?”
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Tensions continue
This isn’t the first example of tensions between Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Gabriel created a bit of a kerfuffle when, following an abysmal performance of his own in the pre-season, he suggested he’s just trying to focus on doing his job.
“There’s entertainers, and there’s competitors, and I understand that, but my job is to compete,” Gabriel said.
The comment was widely perceived as a shot at Sanders, whose reputation for being more concerned about being flashy led him to plummet in the NFL draft.
Shedeur was asked about the comments at the time. He insisted they were not directed at him and that “nobody’s words affect me.”
“Words or anything, it can’t do anything to me,” Sanders said. “I know that God put the ability and the power in me to not even care about people’s comments. It is what it is.”
Will somebody ask him about Gabriel’s fiancée’s comments? It’ll be an unnecessary distraction. A soap opera only Cleveland could bring upon itself.