After his big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, it looks like Deshaun Watson may have a future with the Browns after all. And of course, that means second-year QB Shedeur Sanders won’t be seeing the field much for the foreseeable future.
Given how valuable backup QBs have become in recent years, are the Browns willing to hear offers on their Pro Bowl backup as the NFL trade deadline approaches? The answer appears to be no.
According to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns have “no plans” to trade Sanders or fellow backup Dillon Gabriel.
“The Browns have no plans to trade Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel even though a number of NFL quarterbacks have already suffered significant injuries this season, including the Giants’ Jaxson Dart, the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and the Bears’ Caleb Williams,” Cabot wrote on Saturday.
The decision comes amid speculation that several NFL teams are shopping around for high-quality backups to replace injured starting QBs.
The Giants in particular have been viewed as a good pick for a Sanders trade since Giants head coach John Harbaugh reportedly coveted him when he was coach of the Baltimore Ravens last year.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
But having a high-quality backup works both ways. The Browns clearly want to keep Sanders in Cleveland. Whether that’s as insurance in case Watson struggles or gets hurt again, or if they still believe that he could be their long-term answer at QB somewhere down the line, they’re not moving him.
That said, the Browns may need to be mindful of how the season plays out. If things fall apart and it looks like the Browns will have to take another quarterback in next year’s draft, they might regret not getting some value for him while they can.
