Shedeur Sanders finished the 2025 season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, but nobody knows what the future will hold for the former fifth-round pick. Selected out of Colorado in the 2025 NFL Draft, the big-name prospect began his career as the fourth member of Cleveland’s underwhelming depth chart. However, the rookie eventually climbed his way to the top and started the final seven games of the season. While the Browns went 3-4 while he was under center, Sanders himself left a lot to be desired. While on the field, the rookie completed just 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Now that veteran Deshaun Watson is healthy, some reports indicate the controversial quarterback would have the inside track to the Week 1 starting job. This could make Shedeur Sanders expendable, and the right team might be willing to trade a pick for his services. After all, if Sanders can’t beat out Watson, then why wouldn’t the Browns try to sell high on the quarterback, especially since former third-round pick Dillon Gabriel is more than capable of being the backup?
However, while a trade may have been on the table earlier in the offseason, it appears as though Shedeur Sanders has closed the gap between himself and Watson. Reports across the league indicate the second-year passer is back in the thick of the battle for the QB1 job, and Cleveland isn’t expected to trade him.
Browns Not Expected to Trade Shedeur Sanders; QB Closing Gap With Deshaun Watson
Quite frankly, this report comes as no surprise. Shedeur Sanders may or may not be a franchise quarterback and didn’t look overly impressive last year, but it’s hard to imagine the Browns gaining much of anything in a trade. Despite the pre-draft hype, the quarterback fell to the fifth round for a reason, and his play as a rookie didn’t do much to inspire confidence moving forward. If he can’t beat out Deshaun Watson, it’s hard to imagine any team surrendering a notable draft pick for a player who couldn’t complete 60% of his passes as a rookie.
At this point, the Browns might as well hold onto Shedeur Sanders and see if he can surprise the world and make the Year 2 leap. He has a long way to go before he’s a legitimate franchise quarterback, but he should be able to beat out Deshaun Watson. The former Texan has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league by every possible metric ever since he arrived in Ohio, and he’s coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. He hasn’t looked like a starting-caliber quarterback since 2020 and, barring something completely unexpected, that won’t change any time soon.
No matter who ends up under center in 2026, the Cleveland Browns will probably have a new quarterback in 2027. The Browns currently have 11 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including two first-round picks, so they will likely have the freedom to move up and select whichever players they want. While a lot can happen between now and the start of the regular season, it’s safe to assume the Browns will at least monitor the quarterback position. If Sanders and/or Watson struggle in 2027, the Browns won’t hesitate to grab a new player who could be Cleveland’s long-awaited answer at the game’s most important position.
Main Photo: Ken Blaze – Imagn Images
