Stephen A. Smith slams Dillon Gabriel’s ‘very idiotic’ entertainers and competitors quote

Unlike many others, Stephen A. Smith never believed that Dillon Gabriel was taking aim at Shedeur Sanders when the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback said “there’s entertainers and there’s competitors” following his preseason debut on Saturday.

But even while applying the proper context to the comment, the ESPN star still wasn’t a fan of the quote.

During Monday’s episode of First Take, Smith addressed the quote, which Gabriel has insisted was about the media, not his teammate. That, however, only made it all the more offensive to ESPN’s $100 million man, who referred to the former Oregon star’s comment as “very dumb.”

“I totally believed him when he said he was talking about the media. I want to get that out of the way first. I don’t think, he was talking about Shaedeur Sanders,” Smith said. “The comparisons were emanating from the media more so than anybody else. And that’s what I think, that’s exactly who I think he was directing his comments towards. Having said that, Dillon Gabriel, respectfully, it was stupid. A very dumb comment to make.”

Smith proceeded to point to Gabriel’s involvement in the Browns’ quarterback competition, suggesting that such scrutiny — fair or not — is merely a reality of playing the position at the NFL level. Smith’s real issue with the statement, however, stems from the dismissive nature of the 24-year-old’s comment, which he believes could ultimately backfire against him.

“He was talking about the media. Here’s the problem: You’ve now heightened the level of scrutiny coming your way because the media, including myself, heard what you said,” he said. “So in other words, it’s entertainment. It’s not competition, really. So when you go out there and you compete like trash — because you will have days when you look like that — we’re going to remember those comments and we’re gonna remember the shot that you took at the fourth estate, which is the media institution.

“Whether we like to or not — some of us will be kind like myself because we don’t want to do that to you. Others will be merciless. But in the end, no one will be wrong because who instigated that fury against you? It would be you. Very, very idiotic and stupid for you to say what you said.”

Stephen A. Smith on Dillon Gabriel’s “entertainers and competitors” quote: “I totally believed him when he said he was talking about the media… having said that, Dillon Gabriel, respectfully, it was stupid. A very dumb comment to make… when you go out there and compete like… pic.twitter.com/u2O5VUZ4u5

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 18, 2025

All things considered, Smith’s stance seems a bit extreme, although it’s hardly a surprise that he would take offense to an NFL quarterback — especially a third-round rookie — labeling the media as “entertainers.” He’s also not wrong that the comment could attract a new level of scrutiny to Gabriel, who has spent the bulk of this offseason in Sanders’ sizable shadow.

For now, the 2024 Big Ten MVP appears poised to enter his rookie season no higher than third on the Cleveland depth chart following the news that Joe Flacco be the Browns’ Week 1 starter. But if and when he does get his opportunity to take the field, it appears that Smith will be watching with a new level of investment he didn’t previously possess.