The Cleveland Browns may have went into the season with Shedeur Sanders buried on the depth chart as the fourth-string quarterback, but a pair of trades at the position may have created a path to some more immediate playing time in his rookie season.
A few weeks after Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders to back up Geno Smith, aging veteran Joe Flacco was sent to the division rival Cincinnati Bengals along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dillon Gabriel is now the starting quarterback, with Sanders as the backup.
While Sanders fans will paint this as a golden opportunity for him to get some NFL reps under his belt (as they should), this could also be a sign that Cleveland is already looking forward to a 2026 season that doesn't involve Sanders starting many games for them.
The Browns may be waiving the white flag by letting two rookies learn on the job this season, which could be a sign that they intend to use a first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft on a quarterback while Gabriel becomes a long-term backup. Sanders may stick in Cleveland, but it doesn't seem like he is being viewed as a possible starter.
Browns trading Joe Flacco may not be the best news for Shedeur Sanders
Even though this quarterback class is not as strong as it was regarded when the season began, there is still a very good chance that as many as five or six quarterbacks have very real possibilities of being selected high in the first round. This is fantastic news for Cleveland.
South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza have put enough terrific throws on tape to warrant some looks at the very top of the order. Oregon's Dante Moore has been rising after a white-hot start to the season, and Penn State's Drew Allar could bounce back with a solid finish.
For Sanders to start in 2026, he will need to hope that Gabriel falters enough to let him even get in the game and play at such a fantastic clip that a Browns team that seems locked into a high draft pick will need to be tempted enough to eschew picking a potential franchise quarterback. To say those odds are long is an understatement.
Sanders might get a chance to play during his rookie season, but that doesn't mean he is going to be given a long enough leash to meaningfully impact the Browns' decision-making as it pertains to their long-term outlook.