The Cleveland Browns have made the fascinating decision to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and they look to be willing to live with it for the rest of the season. But with the NFL trade deadline now just two weeks away, there might be a way for the Browns to mitigate the logjam, if they want to.
Cleveland did not have to worry about it until this week, with Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve since cutdown day in late August. The Browns opened his 21-day practice window as soon as they were able to, and they put him back on the active roster on Monday, rather than having him revert to IR, which would have ended his season.
The Browns waived rookie tight end Carsen Ryan to make room for Gabriel, which allowed them to protect developmental prospect Taylen Green. Now, with the way NFL emergency QB rules work, Cleveland theoretically will be playing one man short for as long as this unusual arrangement lasts.
That is why insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is raising an intriguing possibility for the Browns’ backup QBs, saying that even though they are not actively looking to trade Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, they could be convinced if the right deal comes along.
“There is a world in which if you hang on to all four of these guys long enough, maybe someone will come along and offer you something that you can’t refuse. They’re not shopping them, and they’re not seeking to trade Shedeur or Dillon. But if you keep them long enough and you get closer to that Nov. 10 deadline, you never know what might happen,” Cabot said.
“They're not shopping them, and they're not seeking to trade Shedeur or Dillon. But if you keep them long enough and you get closer to that November 10th deadline, you never know what might happen.”
➡️ @MaryKayCabot w/ @CLETalkingHeads on why the #Browns are keeping four… pic.twitter.com/bMy6JpdmbX
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 27, 2026
With the rate of quarterback injuries this season, there is certainly a chance that another team could find themselves in a bind that would cause them to consider acquiring Gabriel or Sanders. With the lengths the Browns have gone to keep Green around as a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they are unlikely to part with the rookie project at this point.
There is also a chance that Cleveland could make a change on the depth chart behind starter Deshaun Watson, but that may be more trouble than it’s worth. Elevating Gabriel ahead of Sanders would cause a major media distraction that could derail the focus of a team that now has real playoff aspirations.
If the Browns emerge from the deadline with their quarterbacks intact, they at least would have plenty of depth to survive an injury to Watson as they chase the AFC North title.
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