Cleveland Browns Get Striking Trade Update on Shedeur Sanders

As the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline draws closer, the Cleveland Browns continue to show little interest in moving Shedeur Sanders, even as the team carries four quarterbacks on its active roster following Dillon Gabriel’s return from injured reserve.

Sanders, the fifth-round pick from the 2025 draft, has drawn the bulk of the external trade chatter.

His decision to hire an agent last month intensified speculation that he might be seeking a fresh start elsewhere, particularly with Deshaun Watson entrenched as the starter and the Browns off to a 5-2 start.

Yet Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot has repeatedly pushed back on that narrative. She reported that the agent move was not made to force a trade and that Cleveland still views Sanders as its primary option behind Watson.

That assessment held firm this week. Despite Gabriel’s activation onto the 53-man roster after missing the first seven games with a back injury, coach Todd Monken confirmed Sanders would remain the active backup for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Yeah. Shedeur’s our backup quarterback,” Monken said Friday.

Gabriel, who started six games as a rookie and brings his own developmental upside, did not leapfrog the quarterback who has spent the season preparing in the No. 2 role.

Cabot’s latest reporting underscores the organization’s preference for keeping its young quarterback group together.

“Despite Gabriel being activated to the 53-man roster this week and the Browns seemingly having a surplus at the spot, they’re not looking to trade either Sanders or Gabriel before the deadline,” she wrote. “Of course, everyone has a price, and if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse, they’ll be open to it. But they like the fact that they have three developmental quarterbacks on the roster, and will have a more cap-friendly quarterback room next season.”

That approach aligns with Cleveland’s recent history of needing multiple signal-callers in a season.

While Watson has performed well enough to quiet immediate questions about his starting status—throwing for 308 yards in last week’s win over Tennessee and delivering another late game-winning drive—his long-term future remains unsettled as he plays out the final year of his large contract.

Owner Jimmy Haslam has called any discussion of a possible return in 2027 premature.

For Sanders, the immediate path remains clear: stay ready behind Watson, continue developing, and wait for his next opportunity.

The Browns appear content to carry the depth into the deadline rather than shop their second-year quarterback, though an overwhelming offer could still change the calculus.

Until then, Sanders remains part of a quarterback room the organization values for both the present and the years ahead.