The NFL roster deadline generated a lot of activity on the quarterback market on Sunday. The Cleveland Browns were not involved, even though it looked like they had more players at the position than would be able to fit under the overall 53-man limit.
The Browns solved the immediate issue by placing Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve, but that is just a temporary solution. They may have explored trading Gabriel before making that move, which allowed them to protect rookie Taylen Green from waivers.
Cleveland still has an uncomfortable QB situation, with Shedeur Sanders behind starter Deshaun Watson. So, it is fair to wonder if the Browns considered moving on from the much more popular backup.
Insider Tony Grossi said he believes the Browns could have explored trades for Sanders, but they may not have found any takers because of his outspoken personality.
“I believe there could have been [conversations about moving on from Shedeur Sanders]. I don’t know that for a fact. As you saw, there were a lot of quarterbacks that changed teams, and there still might be more today. I do. The next question is, why didn’t they trade him? I’m not sure that there’s as big a demand for a true backup quarterback like Gabriel, and there isn’t that demand for a guy like Shedeur. You want him to just keep quiet, do your work, be ready at any time. You don’t want in the middle of the week hearing, ‘I’m better than those guys playing,’ which happened last year. I think that’s it,” Grossi said.
"I believe there could have been," – @TonyGrossi on if the Browns had any conversations about moving on from Shedeur Sanders during cutdowns. pic.twitter.com/Iq0n7ZpfnO
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 31, 2026
This weekend, the Green Bay Packers traded backup quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round draft pick. The Dolphins traded Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, also for a sixth-round pick.
It is possible that the Browns did not want to trade Gabriel, a third-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, for that kind of return. Sanders was a fifth-round pick in that draft, and it is unlikely that any NFL team would be willing to give up more than that to acquire him.
Sanders, to his credit, has publicly handled Todd Monken’s decision to start Watson over him without much fanfare. Perhaps even more surprisingly, there was a measured response from his father, Deion Sanders, who said his son is “playing extremely well.”
This could be a case of simply remaining patient, with the idea that Watson won’t play well enough to hold on for very long. There is already constant chatter about when Sanders will take over, with the Week 3 home opener a popular target, based on the fan reaction Watson received from Browns fans during the preseason.
Cleveland’s quarterback competition may not be truly closed, as it looks like the position will remain in flux until Sanders finally gets the job.
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