The Cleveland Browns could trade Shedeur Sanders during his rookie season, especially if they plan on aiming for a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Due to Sanders' current status as Cleveland's third-string quarterback, the former Colorado football star may have the highest likelihood of being traded.
Shedeur Sanders deemed Browns’ most likely QB trade chip, unlikely to start until October 12 earliest originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Cleveland Browns have endured a predictably rough start to the 2025 NFL season, and trade rumors involving their young quarterbacks are still swirling around the league.
After an NFL insider speculated that the Browns could be looking to trade players by early November, Newsweek’s Max Dible wrote about the possibility of Cleveland trading Shedeur Sanders during his rookie season.
“Thus, the Browns probably don't feel comfortable transitioning away from Flacco before October 12 in Pittsburgh. The following week against the Miami Dolphins could be a cushy matchup to start either rookie QB for the first time. Gabriel has been Cleveland's QB2 since before the year began and has taken the only snaps Flacco hasn't taken through two games, which came in garbage time in a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday,” Dible wrote.
“Given the Browns' timeline for wanting a first look at one of their rookie signal-callers in the context of the trade deadline, combined with the fact that Gabriel is the backup, Sanders seems to be the most likely trade chip by default — even if it is unlikely Cleveland actually deals the fifth-round pick before giving him a thorough regular-season tryout in his first NFL season.”
Sanders’ current place in Cleveland’s pecking order suggests he has the highest likelihood of being traded, but the enigmatic talent could change that narrative if given a chance to start this season. The Browns seem poised to eventually give Sanders playing time in some capacity, but it remains to be seen how and when that will happen.
The Colorado football legend has navigated uncharted territory as an NFL reserve who spent his college career starting and thriving as a signal-caller with Heisman hype. Sanders should eventually find his way off the Cleveland bench, and when he does, he will look to make an immediate impact and protect his spot in the league.
Category: Football
