Roster math has a way of forcing decisions that teams would rather put off. A position group can look comfortably deep in September, but once injured players start returning, someone has to give up a spot. The Browns are about to run into that problem at quarterback. Dillon Gabriel is nearing a return from injured reserve, and one longtime voice on the Browns believes he already knows how it will play out.
Daryl Ruiter weighed in on 92.3 The Fan and predicted that Shedeur Sanders will be traded.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m just gonna tell you right now. Shedeur Sanders is getting traded. The Cleveland Browns are going to trade Shedeur Sanders somewhere, where he can go play for a team that needs a quarterback that can step in and play. That’s how I think this ends. They’re not gonna trade Dillon Gabriel when he comes off Injured Reserve. They also don’t have the luxury of keeping four quarterbacks. I believe they will trade Shedeur Sanders to a team that needs a quarterback,” Ruiter said.
"The Cleveland Browns are going to trade Shedeur Sanders somewhere….they're not gonna trade Dillon Gabriel when he comes off IR. They also don't have the luxury of keeping four QBs."
➡️ @RuiterWrongFAN, @NickPedone12 and @LanceReisland react to the #Browns QB situation moving… pic.twitter.com/HbknAf1gNB
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 5, 2026
Gabriel’s return would give the Browns 4 quarterbacks, joining Deshaun Watson, Sanders and Taylen Green. Carrying that many at one position is difficult to justify on a 53-man roster, especially for a team already dealing with injuries elsewhere.
The defensive line is the clearest example. Mason Graham is expected to miss time with an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain, and a roster spot used on a 4th quarterback is one that cannot go toward depth up front.
Both Sanders and Gabriel were part of the 2025 draft class, but Gabriel came off the board 2 rounds earlier in the 3rd round. Sanders slid to the 5th round despite being one of the most recognizable college quarterbacks in the country.
Since then, Sanders has been the bigger story. He lost the starting job to Watson this summer even though much of the fan base wanted him under center, and Watson has rewarded that decision with 3 straight wins.
A trade would not bring back much. Teams looking for a developmental quarterback are unlikely to offer more than a late-round pick, so the decision would be more about roster flexibility than value.
There is also a case for patience. Watson is in the final year of his contract and missed all of 2025 after multiple Achilles surgeries, so keeping an extra arm in the building has some appeal.
In the end, the decision will say a lot about where the Browns see their future. Moving Sanders would signal that the front office does not view him as the long-term answer, and with extra draft capital from the Myles Garrett trade, the search for that answer may run through the 2027 draft instead.
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