The Cleveland Browns decided to pull off an intra-division shocker on Tuesday morning, trading quarterback Joe Flacco and opening up more playing time for Shedeur Sanders.
With the Browns shipping Flacco off to the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanders is now Gabriel’s backup in Cleveland.
If Gabriel goes out there and doesn’t perform well, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to turn to Sanders for help.
Browns Help Shedeur Sanders by Trading Joe Flacco
Here’s the breakdown of the Browns trade involving Flacco to the Bengals from NFL reporter Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Russini headed out to X on Tuesday morning and offered the details.
TRADE: The Bengals are acquiring Joe Flacco and a sixth-round pick from the Browns for a fifth-round pick, sources say. pic.twitter.com/1d1gJ7H42q
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 7, 2025
Flacco is the 35th-ranked quarterback in PFSN’s Quarterback Impact score with a failing grade of 53.7, and the Bengals fans will hope he can save their season.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, this is the first trade between the Browns and the Bengals since 2017. “This is the first trade between the Browns and Bengals since Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999,” Schefter wrote on X. “They tried in 2017, when the Bengals attempted to trade QB AJ McCarron to the Browns for draft compensation, but the Browns failed to file the paperwork in time.”
Cleveland has now traded away two veteran quarterbacks, Flacco and Kenny Pickett. It’s quite obvious that the Browns will go with a youth movement at quarterback for the rest of the 2025 NFL season.
Of course, that might change should Browns management get infatuated with another veteran who is out on the market. At this time, though, with both of their veteran QBs being shipped off – especially one to a division rival – it’s pretty clear what the message is to the team.
“The Browns complete the latest chapter of their bizarre quarterback history by trading their opening-day starter,” Russini wrote in her story for The Athletic.
“Flacco, 40, was no longer in their plans,” Russini wrote. “Cleveland will likely promote Bailey Zappe from their practice squad, and we’ll see later in the week if rookie Shedeur Sanders will move up from emergency quarterback and third on the depth chart or if Zappe will become the primary backup.”
Sanders played college ball at Colorado under his father, Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. He was highly touted as a high draft choice in the 2025 NFL Draft. But Sanders saw his stock drop round after round until the Browns selected him in the fifth round.
He’s been working out on the sidelines for Cleveland. Any work he was doing with team trainers or equipment personnel is now over. Sanders will probably get some reps with the first and second-teamers now.
This might be some must-see TV when the 2025 NFL season reaches its final week. Guess who plays one another? Yep, the Browns and Bengals will square off in an AFC North Division matchup. Might fans see Flacco vs. Sanders in a QB duel? Get your popcorn ready, NFL fans.