The Cleveland Browns are riding high from their Week 2 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but their quarterback situation will be called into question shortly.
Even though Browns head coach Todd Monken confessed on Monday that he's tired of answering questions about a potential starting quarterback change and is optimistic that Deshaun Watson can build on his strong outing in Tampa, there's no debating that this situation isn't going anywhere.
Watson will start Cleveland's home opener against the Carolina Panthers. It was a no-brainer after being Monken's offensive player of the game in Week 2. After that game, the Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field for Thursday Night Football on a short week.
After the primetime festivities conclude, regardless of what happens with Watson on the field, Browns general manager Andrew Berry will have a familiar conundrum off of it. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel will be eligible to return from the IR. If Gabriel's back injury is healthy following Week 4, the Browns have to elevate him, and would need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the former third-rounder on the active roster.
The Browns currently have Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Taylen Green on their active roster. Gabriel would give the Browns four quarterbacks, and Monken has stated that's probably too many for a 53-man roster.
But Week 2 around the NFL presented an opportunity for the Browns.
Chicago Bears face of the franchise Caleb Williams is week-to-week with a hamstring injury that broke the internet. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow, and the injury was so gruesome, Tom Brady dropped an F-bomb on the broadcast. Following Monday Night Football, Jaxson Dart is awaiting MRI results on a sprained MCL.
The Seattle Seahawks are still waiting for Sam Darnold to return from his injury in the opener, but there's optimism a return could happen soon. Old friend Kevin Stefanski is starting Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback in Week 3, and it'll be the 26-year-old's first game back from a partially torn ACL last season. The Atlanta Falcons have played Cooper Rush and Jack Strand, and they've yet to make a red zone trip throughout Stefanski's first two weeks.
Would any of these teams be interested in Sanders, Gabriel or Green?
Even though none of these injuries are season-threatening, all of these organizations probably realized how scary things can get when your franchise quarterback goes down. These teams have varying depth options, and while injuries are never a good thing, the amount of them happening at the quarterback position could undoubtedly create an avenue for Berry to strike a deal.
It's unlikely that Watson gets moved, even if he stacks a few more positive games. The cap hit is over $80 million, making it hard for any trading partner to acquire that salary. It would also leave the Browns with a big dead money penalty.
So, it's much more likely that a young quarterback gets moved as the Browns re-shuffle their roster in the coming weeks.