Cleveland Browns, Shedeur Sanders Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

NBA superstar Damian Lillard calls for Shedeur Sanders to be traded to surprise NFL team

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Cade Cracas | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns started a rookie quarterback this past weekend.

However, that rookie was not the polarizing fifth-rounder from the University of Colorado, Shedeur Sanders. It was former Oregon Duck Dillon Gabriel, who Cleveland took in the third round of the draft.

Unfortunately for the Browns, Gabriel wasn't able to help propel the team to a win over the Minnesota Vikings in an international matchup as the team fell, 21-17.

The decision to start Gabriel over veteran Joe Flacco came after the team lost three of its first four games of the 2025 season. The Browns opted to keep Sanders as the team's third string quarterback, keeping him as an emergency signal caller if both Gabriel and Flacco went down on gameday.

This decision has resulted in many media members, athletes and fans calling for the team to move on from Sanders, giving him a fresh start and chance to start somewhere else in the league.

Most notably, NBA superstar guard Damian Lillard put out a tweet calling for his favorite team, the Las Vegas Raiders, to make a trade for the son of NFL legend, Deion Sanders.

Lillard is entering his 14th season in the league, making his return to Portland after spending two years with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Time to gone ahead and trade for shedeur man smfh
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 5, 2025

Its clear that Lillard wants to see the Raiders succeed, as after a 1-4 start to the season the future looks bleak with veteran Geno Smith leading the team under center.

Through the first five games of the season, Smith has been lackluster with six touchdowns to a league-leading nine interceptions. Prior to being benched, Flacco was the only other quarterback on pace to be one of the leagues worst quarterbacks in interceptions thrown.

This opinion on Sanders being in Las Vegas is not a new one.

Before the 2025 NFL Draft, many speculated that the 23-year-old would end up in the black and silver. However, due to his somewhat controversial personality and questions revolving around his openness to being a backup, he suffered one of the biggest draft slides in recent memory.

If the Raiders had any sort of interest in taking Sanders, they had seven chances to take the former Buffalo before he was taken by the Browns in the fifth round.

With Gabriel now the starting quarterback, it looks like the Browns will ride him out through the rest of the 2025-26 season. He threw for 19-of-33 through the air for 190 yards and two touchdowns, both going to tight ends, en route to putting together a respectable showing in his first career start.

While the Browns will more than likely stick with Sanders on the roster through his entire rookie campaign, a move in the offseason is starting to feel more like a possibility if Gabriel thrives as the starter.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: