It appears the Cleveland Browns haven’t given Shedeur Sanders a fair shot at any stage in his career. Ever since the draft process, the second-generation star has been facing one setback after another.
But after a months-long battle for the QB1 spot, the franchise’s choice of Deshaun Watson over him might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Now, some of his most ardent supporters are directly calling for the team to trade him to a better situation.
Skip Bayless Outlines Shedeur Sanders Trade Proposal
It wasn’t until Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, when their other rookie suffered an injury, that the Browns gave Sanders a chance to stand under center. From there, he remained the starter for the final seven games of the season.
He was far from perfect, taking the penultimate spot in PFN’s QB Impact Metrics. But with no real alternative for the Browns, he should have been the favorite for the starting role in 2026, especially under a new system with Todd Monken as his head coach.
However, after missing the entire 2025 season with a torn Achilles, Watson returned to the field and won back the starting role. Given his brutal performance at home in the second preseason game and the outright rejection from the fan base, the move was a puzzling choice.
Now, veteran analyst Skip Bayless, who’s been a huge proponent of Sanders since his time at college, has had enough of the mistreatment. In a lengthy rant on social media, he urged the Browns to allow the second-year quarterback to flourish elsewhere.
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“The Cleveland Browns don’t deserve Shedeur Sanders,” he began his rant. “This sorry franchise does not deserve to have Shedeur Sanders on its roster. I wish there was some way that Jimmy Haslam and Todd Monken would decide, as we near the season, to get rid of Shedeur, to set him free, to trade him elsewhere.”
He even had a specific team in mind, pointing to the Atlanta Falcons, who’d already signed Stefanski in the offseason. Given the weapons on the roster, most notably Bijan Robinson and Drake London, it could offer Sanders a legitimate chance to thrive.
PLEASE TRADE SHEDEUR TO THE FALCONS! pic.twitter.com/VBkYbktick
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 24, 2026
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“Would I love to see Shedeur in Atlanta? Uh. Do I think Shedeur Sanders this coming football season could win more games than [Michael] Penix or Tua [Tagovailoa] could win? You better believe that I do. Shedeur Sanders is better than either quarterback that the Atlanta Falcons have right now.”
Last season, both Tagovailoa (28) and Penix (26) were demonstrably ahead of Sanders in PFN QB Impact Score, but the upside of bringing a new piece, the health of Penix, and the concerning clips of Tagovailoa from practice could help support Bayless’ argument, even if Stefanski didn’t exactly have the most faith in him this time last year.
It wasn’t just on the field, though. The former host of “Undisputed” believes the connection between the son of the legendary Deion Sanders and the city of Atlanta would be nearly seamless.
“Can you imagine Shedeur Sanders in Atlanta, GA? Can you imagine how crazy that city would get for this guy wearing their jersey?” But to Bayless’ defense, the pointed attacks against the Browns for the direction they took with Sanders aren’t wholly unjustified.
After the draft, with a host of other options at their disposal, he started the season behind both Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart.
As a result, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t give him reps with the starters at any point during the year before he finally stepped in against the Baltimore Ravens. It was far from a seamless transition for the youngster without virtually any practice with his teammates.
It remains to be seen if the Browns will pull the trigger on such a move just weeks away from the season. But the idea is already gaining traction, and after multiple quarterbacks have redeemed themselves in recent years, Sanders could be the newest name on that list.
