The rumors surrounding a potential Shedeur Sanders trade refuse to fully go away, even as more voices around the league continue pushing back against the idea. Sanders has become one of the more polarizing figures in Cleveland, but the noise about a possible departure has consistently clashed with what the Browns front office has actually signaled through its actions and its public comments. Analyst Earl Mauldin recently weighed in on why moving Sanders at this stage would be a mistake the organization should avoid entirely.
Mauldin believes a trade involving Sanders simply does not add up.
“It makes absolutely no sense. It never made any sense. I know people like to say, well, they traded Myles, so anything can happen. I think this is a totally different case, a totally different position. You’ve heard Andrew Berry and Todd Monken talk about the difference is night and day as far as the work he’s put in in the offseason. Why in the world would you trade Shedeur Sanders, leaving Deshaun Watson as your starter for a team that says they’re trying to win this year?”
There has been no public push for a new team, no indication of dissatisfaction with his role, and no obvious business reason for Cleveland to consider parting with a young quarterback the coaching staff has praised repeatedly throughout the offseason.
The mention of Berry and Monken describing a night and day improvement in Sanders’ work ethic also adds to Mauldin’s argument. If the two people most responsible for shaping this roster are speaking that highly of his development behind closed doors, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify giving up on him this early in his career, especially while Watson continues to carry significant injury risk into a season the franchise has stated intentions of competing in.
A team that claims it wants to win in 2026 does not strengthen its odds by trading away a developing quarterback and leaning entirely on a starter whose availability has been anything but guaranteed in recent seasons. Depth at the position has mattered more for Cleveland than almost any other team in the league over the past several years, and removing Sanders from the equation would leave the Browns dangerously thin if Watson were to miss extended time again.
For now, the most realistic outcome remains the one that has been expected all along. Sanders is very likely to be on the roster when the 2026 season begins, regardless of how loud the outside speculation gets.
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