The Cleveland Browns' quarterback room just got a whole lot more interesting. After a preseason finale where Dillon Gabriel lit up the New England Patriots, the chatter around Shedeur Sanders' future in Cleveland has reached a fever pitch. Could the Browns actually trade the rookie signal-caller?
Let's rewind a bit. For weeks, head coach Todd Monken has been weighing his options between Sanders and Deshaun Watson. Despite Watson's shaky preseason performances, he's been named the Week 1 starter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The expectation was that Sanders would slot in as the No. 2, but Gabriel's breakout performance has thrown a wrench into those plans.
Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns against the Patriots, leaving fans and analysts alike buzzing. The performance was so sharp that it sparked a wave of speculation: Could the Browns consider moving on from Sanders altogether?
“I'm not anticipating that Shedeur Sanders is gonna get traded…but, it's the NFL. You just never know what could happen,” said Spencer German of 92.3 The Fan. “If somebody called up and was offering the right price…a 4th-round pick or even a 5th-round pick. I think Andrew Berry would say 'yes' in a heartbeat.”
Fans have been quick to weigh in on social media, with some arguing that Gabriel has outperformed Sanders both in college and in the pros. “Dillon Gabriel was better than Shedeur in college and is better than Shedeur in the NFL,” one fan tweeted. “If you're shocked that's a YOU thing.” Others echoed the sentiment, with calls to “Trade Shedeur, make DG the backup” and “Make Dillon QB2 and trade Shedeur.”
But where would Sanders even land? Skip Bayless, the former Fox Sports personality, has a clear destination in mind: Atlanta. “I wish there was some way that Jimmy Haslam and Todd Monken would decide, as we near the season, to get rid of Shedeur, to set him free, to trade him elsewhere,” Bayless said. “And I'm sure nobody would give anything more than what they gave for Shedeur, a fifth-round pick, sixth round, seventh round. I don't know. I don't care. But I'd love to see Shedeur in Atlanta.”
For now, though, it sounds like Sanders is staying put in Cleveland. The Browns seem committed to their current quarterback depth chart, at least for the time being. But as German noted, in the NFL, anything can happen. The situation is fluid, and with Gabriel's preseason heroics making waves, the conversation isn't going away anytime soon.
It's worth noting that some analysts predict Watson will fail, potentially paving the way for Sanders to take over midseason. That makes a trade even less likely, at least for now. But if a tempting offer comes in, general manager Andrew Berry might have a tough decision to make.
As the regular season approaches, all eyes will be on Cleveland's quarterback room. Will Sanders remain a Brown, or will Gabriel's standout play force a change? Only time will tell.
