The Cleveland Browns are off to an unexpected 3-1 start to open the 2026 NFL season, with a growing portion of the fan base now rallying behind starting quarterback Deshaun Watson just weeks after booing him. With the franchise’s outlook improving, it seems that backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ days in Cleveland could be numbered.
Late last week, per ESPN Cleveland, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Browns “would probably welcome a deal at the right price” either for Sanders or fellow backup quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
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Given that Cleveland invested the 94th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in Gabriel versus the 144th overall pick being used on Sanders, it stands to reason that investment could factor into the equation. Both second-year quarterbacks are likely viewed as career backups around the league, so the Browns front office would need to determine what’s a better return.
Flipping Sanders for a late-round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft might be more justifiable than turning a top-100 pick in 2025 into a potential seventh-round pick three years later. Sanders might also be slightly more appealing to clubs around the league, given his lower cap hit ($1.127 million vs $1.425 million) and that he offers a bit more physical tools for a coaching staff to work with.
Trading one of the two backup quarterbacks would also allow the team to move rookie Taylen Green up a spot on the depth chart. Green, the 182nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, showed some impressive flashes during the preseason, and he’s without question the most physically gifted quarterback on the roster.
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It’s highly unlikely any deal would be made until much closer to the 2026 NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10. Cleveland would likely want to wait until Gabriel (back) can come off injured reserve, and holding out until November would likely increase the number of suitors in the market for a viable No. 2 quarterback who has some starting experience.