Cleveland Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken officially announced Deshaun Watson as the team’s Week 1 starter. The decision leaves Shedeur Sanders as the Browns’ QB2 and potentially expendable on the trade market.
Here are three teams that should consider pursuing the former Colorado star as the regular season approaches.
3 Landing Spots for Shedeur Sanders After Deshaun Watson Becomes QB1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of a three-year contract with the Buccaneers, and by all accounts, the two sides were never close to reaching an extension. Mayfield also stated that negotiations would come to a complete halt, allowing him to focus on the regular season.
Still, with Mayfield on the roster in 2026, the Buccaneers are likely to remain competitive and battle for a division title in a relatively weak NFC South. This would almost certainly keep Tampa Bay out of the top 10, and possibly even the top 15 picks in next year’s NFL Draft, making it unlikely that a top quarterback prospect falls to them.
Their solution, instead, could be Sanders. If Tampa Bay traded for the second-year quarterback ahead of the season, he could sit behind Mayfield and eventually claim the QB2 role over veteran Jake Browning. By this time next year, Sanders would be fully acclimated and viewed as their future starter if Mayfield ultimately decides to leave in free agency.
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Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott, PFN’s sixth-ranked signal-caller in 2025 according to the site’s QB Impact Metric, is the Cowboys’ unquestioned QB1. Third-year backup Joe Milton has looked spectacular in the preseason. Why would the Cowboys target Sanders when there is no need at the QB position? Well, owner Jerry Jones is still running the show.
Shedeur’s father, Deion, was a superstar cornerback for Jones’ Cowboys many years ago, and presumably, the 83-year-old owner wants the storyline, chatter, and jersey sales that would come with bringing the legend’s son to Dallas.
It would be difficult to see a path to playing time for Sanders if he were traded to the Cowboys, but Prescott is 33 years old, and Sanders still has three years left on his rookie deal. Developing behind the former All-Pro and eventually taking over as the Cowboys’ QB would be a dream scenario for both Deion Sanders and Jerry Jones.
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New York Jets
The New York Jets have one of the most underrated and intriguing young offensive cores in the NFL. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are both Pro Bowl-level talents at the WR and RB positions and are locked into long-term contracts, along with 2026 first-round selections TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper. The Jets also have a pair of former top-15 overall draft picks in tackles, Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu.
The primary concern, as with most franchises, is the quarterback position. 35-year-old Geno Smith is set to be the Week 1 starter, while fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik and second-year undrafted QB Brady Cook sit behind him. Klubnik has had his moments in the preseason, but it’s more than likely that the Jets’ 2027 starter is not yet on the roster.
Unlike the Buccaneers, the Jets are expected to be selecting near the top of next year’s draft. If they decide they are not in love with any of the prospects, however, and want to continue building their defense, they could acquire Sanders for less than a fourth-round selection and evaluate the QB position from there.
