The Cleveland Browns entered mandatory minicamp in June with four quarterbacks and no clarity on which one starts in Week 1. Shedeur Sanders went 3-4 in seven starts last season after taking over in Week 12. He completed 120-of-212 passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and ten interceptions.
That performance has apparently not convinced the Browns front office that he is their long-term answer.
Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) with father Deion Sanders prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Cleveland’s current quarterback room includes Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green. Watson remains the presumptive starter if healthy, while Gabriel had what coaches described as a strong spring. That leaves Sanders – a fifth-round pick in 2025 who outperformed his draft position – in an increasingly uncertain spot. The Browns have not committed to him as QB1 and have not moved him. What they have done, per reporters in Cleveland, is taken phone calls.
Bryant’s take spread after a post of the comment went viral. He called Sanders a “franchise QB” and said moving him out of Cleveland would benefit both the player and any team that acquires him. Bryant specifically named the New Orleans Saints as the best fit, and mentioned Arizona as a second option.
The Saints would be a good fit for QB Shedeur Sanders if he’s traded by the Browns, according to @DezBryant.
New Orleans is moving forward with Tyler Shough this season, but Bryant still thinks Sanders would thrive in NOLA as a franchise QB ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/j0JC2cbqIA
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) June 22, 2026
New Orleans drafted Tyler Shough with the No. 40 overall pick in April. The Saints are committed to Shough for the 2026 season, but Bryant argued that Sanders brings valuable experience with seven NFL starts already under his belt.The trade speculation is not limited to Bryant.
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo reported the Browns had received ongoing trade inquiries. “There are talks, ongoing calls, about the availability of Shedeur Sanders,” Rizzo said. “The Browns, for whatever reason, don’t think he’s the guy. I don’t think the four quarterbacks are going to camp on July 28.” Rizzo stopped short of calling a deal imminent. His report was the first confirmation that Cleveland had engaged with other teams rather than simply ignoring inbound interest.
The Browns Wire identified three teams more likely than New Orleans to pursue Sanders: Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Green Bay. The Big Lead’s analysis added the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, with Arizona specifically flagged as a fit given Jacoby Brissett’s holdout and Carson Beck’s uncertain timeline. None of those teams have confirmed interest. The Saints have not been reported as active in Sanders discussions by any outlet beyond Bryant’s take.
Why a Shedeur Sanders Trade to the Saints Is Unlikely
The Saints passed on Sanders six times during the 2025 draft before Cleveland selected him in the fifth round. The Saints then spent their second-round pick – No. 40 overall – on Shough in April 2026. That pick represents a $10.3 million fully guaranteed investment on a four-year rookie deal.
Acquiring Sanders would require giving up additional draft capital on top of what they already committed to Shough. The Browns reportedly want more than a late-round pick in any Sanders deal, which further complicates the math for a Saints team that spent its second-round pick on the position just two months ago.
SI.com’s Noah Olson noted that trading Sanders would only make sense for Cleveland in one specific scenario. Head coach Kevin Stefanski shut that scenario down publicly. Without Sorsby, moving Sanders would leave Cleveland with Watson as QB1 and Gabriel as the backup, a depth chart that most analysts consider a step backward from where the franchise was heading with Sanders as the developmental starter.
Training camp opens on July 28. Rizzo believes not all four quarterbacks will still be on the roster by then. Sanders went 3-4 as a starter in 2025. Bryant wants him in New Orleans. The Browns have taken calls. Whether those calls produce a trade before camp is what the next five weeks will answer.
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