It doesn’t look like Shedeur Sanders is going to get on the field for the Cleveland Browns any time soon, barring an injury to Deshaun Watson. Even if Watson plays poorly in an upcoming game or two, the veteran has earned enough leeway to hold on to the starting job through any potential struggles.
So, thoughts are turning to what to do with Sanders, with the added element of Dillon Gabriel now eligible to be activated off of injured reserve. That means trade talk is likely to heat up over the coming weeks.
Analyst Chris Oldach said he believes the Browns should trade Sanders, primarily because it would avoid involving him in a similar situation again next season.
“If I’m being honest, because supposedly they’re drafting a guy next year, to have Shedeur as the potential backup again for another quarterback competition, the easy thing for the Browns to just close the book on this would be to trade him,” Oldach said.
.@TheOGPAW thinks it might be time for the Browns to seriously entertain trading Shedeur Sanders.
Do you agree? https://t.co/ZEmFv8rYlw pic.twitter.com/Ht1Y8sh87t
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 5, 2026
There were doubts ranging up to disbelief about Watson’s ability to become a viable starting quarterback in the NFL. But head coach Todd Monken was certain that would happen, and he has been proven right beyond anyone’s expectations.
Watson hasn’t returned to the Pro Bowl level he was at with the Houston Texans early in his career, but he has shown that he can win games, leading victorious fourth-quarter scoring drives each of the past three weeks. With the Browns in first place in the AFC North and looking more like legitimate playoff contenders with every outing, there is no reason at all to consider a QB change.
Yet that does not eliminate a possible roster concern. The Browns were able to avoid carrying four quarterbacks at the 53-man limit on cutdown day by putting Gabriel on IR with a back injury.
If they want him to return to practice to avoid stunting his development, they would then have a 21-day window to put him on the active roster. If not, he would go on season-ending injured reserve, or they could trade him instead.
Seen as a prototypical NFL backup and someone who is low-profile, the Browns may prefer to have Gabriel in that role instead of Sanders while they simultaneously figure out how to use rookie Taylen Green. The easiest path would be to seek a trade for Sanders, with the NFL deadline coming after the Week 9 games.
This situation was bound to come up eventually, and hopefully the Browns have figured out a plan they can put into action.
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