The Cleveland Browns (1-5) are facing off against the Miami Dolphins (1-5) in Week 7, which would be the perfect game for rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to debut.
However, no indication has been made of benching their other rookie, Dillon Gabriel.
This is understandable, as Gabriel has only started in two contests, but he’s lost to the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. If Gabriel has another disappointing outing against the Dolphins, that could be Sanders’ key to starting in Cleveland. It’s possible Sanders won’t need to wait on his chance if a trade to the AFC West takes place in the coming weeks.
Could the Browns Send Shedeur Sanders to Las Vegas To Compete With Geno Smith?
There were high expectations for the Las Vegas Raiders entering this season because they added star QB Geno Smith, phenom running back Ashton Jeanty, and long-time head coach Pete Carroll.
Fast forward to the end of Week 6, and the Raiders are 2-4 after a 20-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. Smith is leading the NFL in interceptions with 10, so it’s plausible to assume the Raiders wouldn’t mind adding some competition.
NBA All-Star Damian Lillard has no trouble seeing how much Smith is struggling, as he urged the Raiders to trade for Sanders on social media. “Time to gone ahead and trade for shedeur man smfh,” Lillard wrote. The post has more than three million views.
He replied to a fan claiming Smith is washed in a follow-up post, replying, “He not washed… he just turning the ball over. But it’s time to get shedeur on the team and get ready for the future.”
It’s worth pointing out Lillard made these remarks during and after Las Vegas’ Week 5 blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, where Smith threw two interceptions and no touchdown passes.
The reason this would be such a major trade is because the Raiders signed the 35-year-old to a two-year, $75 million contract. Benching him for Sanders would essentially be what the Atlanta Falcons did with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. on a more minor scale. Just as Cousins struggled as the starter for Atlanta, there’s no denying Smith’s woes thus far.
Smith’s impact score from PFSN is just 73.7, which ranks him 24th among QBs.
Is it possible Sanders is no better or even worse under Carroll in the Raiders’ system? Absolutely, but if that’s the case, Las Vegas can once again tank for a high draft pick and look for a franchise signal caller in the 2026 NFL Draft.
