Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is caught in a quarterback bind, and something's gotta give.
The Browns have four signal-callers with both starting NFL potential and glaring flaws that could indicate a trade on the horizon. Sanders and former Oregon Duck Dillon Gabriel are unproven, Joe Flacco is aging and Kenny Pickett has been relatively inconsistent in his young career.
Despite the Colorado Buffaloes legend's presence and chances of getting early reps, a move to a well-built contender could be what Sanders needs to avoid being thrown into a fire that could derail his career as it merely begins.
With training camp fast approaching, rumors have teemed that Sanders could be Cleveland's pick to ship out in favor of starting a more experienced arm. Dawg Pound Daily’s Mark Sipos believes it’d be a “low-risk, high-upside addition” for the Buffalo Bills to take a chance on the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
“Josh Allen is locked in as the starter, and Mitchell Trubisky is back as the veteran backup. But behind them, there’s room for a developmental quarterback," Sipos said. "Sanders would be a low-risk, high-upside addition who could sit behind Allen, learn in a structured offense, and grow without pressure. Buffalo’s staff could work on refining his timing and decision-making while giving him a stable environment to develop in the background."
Allen is emerging from an MVP campaign that, barring injury, would not allow any early playing time for Sanders. It may not be his preference, but sitting behind one of the league's best quarterbacks with a seasoned vet in Trubisky providing advice on the side could do wonders for his future.
Of course, Sanders is just adjusting to Cleveland and emerging from the whirlwind that was his 2025 NFL Draft experience. Falling to the fifth round is a major hit to any player's confidence, let alone a trade before the start of his first training camp.
And yet, Cleveland's front office may not be as emotionally invested as others. The NFL is a business, and while rumors circulated that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam had major sway in Sanders's draft pick, general manager Andrew Berry may not instill as much trust.
With Allen pegged as Buffalo's starter for the foreseeable future, Sanders on the Bills would likely be a developmental stop-gap before his career could truly begin as a starter. However, it could limit the idea of his quarterbacking skill even further by relegating it to preseason and garbage time, thereby lowering his trade value.
The discussed idea of a trade of Sanders to the Los Angeles Rams bodes much more favorably due to the age of starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and an offensive mind at head coach in Sean McVay.
Ultimately, a trade isn't likely, but should be monitored if Sanders does not start the season as the Browns' starter. The Colorado talent, once projected as the NFL's top draft pick, fell from grace to a less-than-ideal situation, but a maneuver elsewhere could be the catalyst for a more polished career.
