Cleveland Browns fans who had been clamoring to see Shedeur Sanders for months finally got their wish last Sunday as he made his first start against the New Orleans Saints. He may have fallen just short in pulling out the win in overtime, but he had arguably his best outing as a pro after throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over.
While he has since returned to the bench with Deshaun Watson set to return from his concussion this week, Sanders was able to prove that all the work he has put in over the past year has paid off. His development has been encouraging and even if it wasn’t enough to convince the Browns that he could be the team’s long-term solution at quarterback, there were also 31 other teams watching and wondering the same thing.
With his impressive performance just ahead of the trade deadline, it was fair to wonder if one of the handful of teams around the league that obviously could use an upgrade at quarterback were thinking about making a move for him. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler touched on this topic during a recent appearance on The Really Big Show on ESPN Cleveland and he said that nobody called the Browns about a potential trade.
“My understanding is no,” Fowler said.
"My understanding is no," – @JFowlerESPN on if any teams called the Browns about trading for Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/SwHRX7LgNZ
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 12, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings trading for Kirk Cousins was the only notable trade deadline move at quarterback, as the other teams who needed quarterbacks such as the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens already made their moves in the weeks leading up to the deadline. There simply might not have been a team with an immediate need, and it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to trade for Sanders unless the plan was to start him right away.
The trade rumors surrounding Sanders had been swirling for the past few weeks, especially after he hired an agent for the first time, but those reports were shut down heading into deadline day. The belief was that if the front office was considering trading him that it would be a decision better off being made in the offseason.
Just because no teams called doesn’t mean that Sanders isn’t valued league-wide. There just wasn’t an obvious fit, and with how shaky Deshaun Watson has been over the years, it wouldn’t make sense for the Browns to trade Sanders anyway.
NEXT: Deion Sanders Doesn't Hold Back On Shedeur's Browns Situation
