Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson grabbed all the headlines during the offseason, as Todd Monken looked to find his starting quarterback and rebuild the Cleveland Browns after a disappointing 2025 NFL season. The Browns ended the season with a 5-12 record, with quarterback play being one of their biggest issues. They used three quarterbacks during the 2025 season: Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders.
This meant it was imperative for Monken to find the right man for the job to get the 2026 season off to a positive start. Watson and Sanders battled for the starting job throughout the offseason, training camp and the first two preseason games against the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills. At the end of it all, Watson earned the starting role.
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On the other hand, it was a huge setback for Sanders, who was looking to establish his role as QB1 after making seven starts during the 2025 NFL campaign. However, it wasn’t all lost for Sanders as Ian Rapoport reported that he could potentially start the Browns’ home opener against the Carolina Panthers if Watson didn’t perform well.
Watson struggled in the first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the Browns losing the game 34-10. However, the veteran has made an evident comeback in the last two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Panthers, with the Browns winning both games. This has led to trade rumors surrounding Sanders. But the Browns have made it clear they have no intention of trading him.
Now Rapoport has provided an update on whether any NFL team is interested in Sanders. The NFL Network reporter said, “I have not sensed that, but if you’re the Browns, why would you do that? The only thing that matters, I mean, there’s probably interest in trading every player.”
“I mean, if someone could acquire Shedeur Sanders for a, you know, 2037th rounder, my guess is somebody would. Like, there’s always interest in every player. But if you’re the Browns, why would you do that?” he added.
It’s a tough situation for Sanders but all he can do right now is to wait and be ready for an opportunity when it presents itself. The Browns will play their next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, October 1.
