It seemed like Shedeur Sanders would be the quarterback of the Cleveland Browns for the 2026 season, at the very least, based on how last year ended. Starting the final seven games of the season, he showed flashes of what he could become.
But with a change in the head-coaching ranks and Deshaun Watson returning from injury, Todd Monken chose to stage a battle for the QB1 spot. Now, one analyst believes the end result of that battle could be the end of Sanders’ tenure with the Browns.
Shedeur Sanders’ Days in Cleveland Could Be Numbered
Trying to give both quarterbacks a fair chance, Monken made it clear that the two would get first-team reps on alternate days of training camp. However, on the tenth day of training camp, there was a surprising change.
After Sanders was the designated first-team quarterback, the new head coach decided to make a sudden change for Watson. The team described it as certain personnel groupings that Monken wanted a closer look at.
However, for fans and media alike, it might have been an early signal for what’s to come. With Sanders splitting second-team duties with fellow second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel, it seemed like the QB1 battle was nearing completion.
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Aaron Goldhammer of ESPN Cleveland went a step further, believing that the end was near for Sanders. Moreover, he even claimed that the Browns would move on from the Colorado product soon.
“I think there’s a real chance that the Browns are gonna trade Shedeur Sanders,” Goldhammer said. “Because I think they’re going to start Watson, and because I think that they think that Shedeur is not well-equipped for a variety of reasons to serve as a backup quarterback.”
“I think there’s a real chance they’re going to trade Shedeur Sanders. Because I think they’re going to start Watson and because I think that they think that Shedeur is not well-equipped for a variety of reasons to serve as a backup QB,” – @HammerNation19 👀👀 https://t.co/nPAhA52Gl9 pic.twitter.com/QaWBrCt00R
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 10, 2026
However, Goldhammer maintained that he wasn’t sure if the decision was coming in the near future. He added, “I don’t think anything is done. I don’t think that the phone’s blowing up for this guy. Guys, he went in the fifth round for a reason.”
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When he did get the starting job during the 2025 campaign, Sanders was a mixed bag throughout. But on PFN’s QB Impact Metric, he finished second-to-last in the entire league with an impact score of 63.0.
While some of his deficiencies could be attributed to growing pains as a rookie and to a lack of first-team reps before he got the starting nod, the end product was underwhelming, to say the least.
The growing sentiment around the Browns is that they could be aiming to find a potential franchise superstar in the 2027 NFL Draft, where they’ve stockpiled draft capital. In the interim, running out Watson’s contract could be the direction they choose to take.
That is where a potential trade for Sanders could be the perfect solution for the Browns, as it further adds to their war chest of draft picks for the 2027 class.
