As if the quarterback situation for the Cleveland Browns wasn’t confusing enough, the franchise decided to add Tyler Huntley as the sixth quarterback on the roster. With Deshaun Watson out for the 2025 season, that leaves five names for head coach Kevin Stefanski to sort through. The Browns also announced that Joe Flacco will be their Week 1 starter against the Cincinnati Bengals.
With how things have progressed in Cleveland so far, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to learn that the Browns want to thin their quarterback room. In that scenario, there is a chance that Shedeur Sanders, fourth on the depth chart, will bite the dust. However, with a ton of college hype behind him, he could become a trade chip for the Browns with a plethora of teams potentially jumping at the chance to add Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders Trade Destinations
Projected as a potential first-round pick before the draft, the son of the legendary Deion Sanders was subject to one of the most dramatic draft-day slides in recent memory. Finally, it was the Browns, trading the 166th and 192nd picks to land him with the 144th pick.
There is a possibility that Cleveland is looking at him as the long-term answer. Ian Rapoport, after a recent visit to the Browns’ training camp, made it clear that the upside with Sanders was tremendous. But he does have some doubts about his body being NFL-ready, at least this season.
However, for many teams, that pre-draft hype can be an intriguing element for the youngster. Add in the questions emerging about the Colorado Buffaloes standout’s personality, and his draft day humbling might entice them further.
Joe Cool leading the way 🫡
We’ve named Joe Flacco our starting quarterback.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 18, 2025
Stefanski recently hinted that the Browns might not keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. “I think we’ll let it play out as we get closer to the cut down,” the Browns HC said, speaking to the media on Sunday. “Those are all conversations that we are always having, but those are tough decisions. You know, I’d like to keep everybody, but not realistic.”
With Flacco being the QB1 for Week 1, and Sanders still being the QB4, there are chances the former Colorado star could get moved. If he is to be traded from Cleveland, here are five teams that might jump at the opportunity.
#5. Philadelphia Eagles
As a starter? Definitely not. The Philadelphia Eagles are about as content as any team could be with their quarterback, fresh off winning the second Super Bowl in franchise history, and Jalen Hurts taking home the Super Bowl MVP.
However, when his slide reached the third day of the draft, rumors about Philadelphia wanting to bring in the second-generation star made the rounds. At the time, the Browns’ decision to trade up was seen as a direct result of those rumors, as Cleveland skipped ahead of the Eagles.
Almost six months later, general manager Howie Roseman might finally see his wish come true. The two sides have already engaged in a trade this offseason that sent Kenny Pickett to the Browns. This time around, it might be the Eagles who go after a quarterback.
#4. Los Angeles Rams
At least for the time being, Sanders would be the clear-cut backup in Los Angeles. However, Matthew Stafford is approaching 40, and retirement has come up a few times now at the end of the season for the veteran quarterback.
With a ton of wear and tear on his body, including a back injury that has slowed down the lead-up to the 2025 season, Stafford could be on his last legs in the league. In that scenario, Sanders could have the perfect opportunity to learn behind him on the sidelines.
Matthew Stafford out at practice. 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/Gpae1kotVU
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 18, 2025
Add in the excellence of Sean McVay as his head coach, and it might be the best launching pad that the youngster could hope for. Similar to Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers two years ago, it would allow the Rams to potentially not miss a step even after the former Super Bowl champion calls it quits.
#3. New York Jets
Since we’re on the subject of life after Rodgers, who better to understand that scenario than the New York Jets? Two years after he first joined the organization, the Jets are moving on from a disastrous tenure with Justin Fields and Aaron Glenn as the new QB-HC combo.
However, Fields has yet to prove himself as a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. If he fails to impress Glenn as well, then New York could pivot with Sanders as their lead signal-caller. Behind Fields, the only real option is Tyrod Taylor.
Sanders, in that battle, would offer higher upside and the chance to be the permanent answer for the franchise in the long term.
#2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaking of Love and the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers also have a chance to repeat that process if they bring in Sanders. As an outside bet, there were a lot of rumors connecting Pittsburgh to the talented rookie with the 21st overall pick.
Even though that didn’t come to fruition, the Steelers need a long-term plan for their quarterback situation. As good as Will Howard has looked so far, he’s likely not the ideal choice for head coach Mike Tomlin.
As a result, Sanders, who projects to have a much higher ceiling than Howard, could slot into that number two role behind Aaron Rodgers. There is a distinct possibility that this is Rodgers’ final swansong in the NFL. Adding Sanders would allow Pittsburgh to prepare for life after the four-time MVP.
#1. New Orleans Saints
Regardless of the other teams on this list, no organization makes more sense for Sanders than the New Orleans Saints. After Derek Carr announced his shocking retirement, the team didn’t have many options to fall back on.
As a result, the primary competition for the QB1 spot is between Spencer Rattler and second-round pick Tyler Shough. Between those two, the Saints could potentially try to add another young player to assess the talent available on the roster.
If they are serious about committing to a rebuild, then figuring out their quarterback situation might be step one for the franchise. Between Shough and Sanders, they can get a fair assessment of two youngsters in this year’s class, ultimately deciding their direction in a quarterback-heavy 2026 draft class.
