newsweek
Shedeur Sanders came close to leading the Cleveland Browns to a win over the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, but his effort apparently wasn't enough to convince the organization to fully invest in him. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Deshaun Watson is expected to reclaim the starting job after clearing concussion protocol, though head coach Todd Monken has not yet made an official announcement. In the 23-22 loss to New Orleans, Sanders completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
During Tuesday's edition of "The Tony Rizzo Show," Browns insider Tony Rizzo expressed his belief that Cleveland is actively trying to trade Sanders before the NFL deadline at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. "If Andrew [Berry] is trying to trade a quarterback, just say, 'I'm not ready to name a starter just yet, we're working through some things,'" Rizzo said. "It appears that they're trying maybe to deal Shedeur."
Key Analysis
Watson, who is 31 years old and playing on an expiring contract, is widely disliked by a large portion of the Browns fanbase. It seems highly unlikely that the team would bring him back after this season, especially given the backlash they faced for signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022. Sanders, when given the chance, has shown enough promise to argue that he could be the long-term answer at quarterback, but the front office has refused to fully commit to him. Why not explore his trade value and give him a genuine opportunity elsewhere?
Sanders is coming off one of the best games of his young career. He is still only 24 years old and is under contract through the 2028 season at an average annual salary of around $1.16 million. That makes him an incredibly enticing trade candidate, particularly if he lands in a quarterback-friendly system like Minnesota's under Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings have made it clear they are in the market for a quarterback, and Sanders would certainly energize the fanbase after what has been seen from Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray this season.
The Browns don't technically need to trade Sanders, as he remains under contract for two more years and has already demonstrated he can be a quality backup. However, his trade value may never be higher than it is right now.
Originally reported by newsweek.