The Cleveland Browns are roughly seven weeks from the NFL trade deadline, and one local radio voice already is projecting a quarterback move that would send Shedeur Sanders out of town.
Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland said Wednesday he believes the Browns will deal Sanders before the Nov. 10 deadline if Deshaun Watson continues to hold the starting job.
“I think the Browns deal Shedeur before the deadline, I think Gabriel’s your backup and Taylen Green is your third,” Rizzo said. “I think Deshaun could start a dozen games. I do. I hope so.”
Cleveland is 1-1 after a 23-19 road win over Tampa Bay in Week 2. Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in that game, posting a 121.9 passer rating. He added seven carries for 22 yards.
Through two games, Watson is 40 of 52 for 443 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His completion rate sits at 76.9 percent and his passer rating is 112.9. He has rushed 13 times for 60 yards.
That performance came one week after a 34-10 loss at Jacksonville in which Watson threw for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick at No. 144 overall in the 2025 draft, started seven games as a rookie. He finished 3-4 with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 120-of-212 passing (56.6 percent). His passer rating was 68.1. He also ran 21 times for 169 yards and one score.
The Browns placed Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve with a back injury before the season. Gabriel must miss at least the first four games and is eligible to return in Week 5. As a rookie in 2025, Gabriel started six games and went 1-5 while completing 110 of 185 passes (59.5 percent) for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Rookie Taylen Green, a sixth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2026, is the third quarterback on the active roster.
Rizzo’s projection rests on Watson staying healthy and productive enough that Cleveland would feel comfortable moving Sanders. Several teams entered the season with unsettled quarterback situations, including the New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons.
Coach Todd Monken said Watson’s mobility has been a point of emphasis.
“It has to be a weapon for him and us to use his legs. He is athletic. He has a good feeling for that. And he certainly…he’s asked for it. He said, ‘Don’t be afraid to use my legs.’ And so that’s been a big part the first couple of weeks,” Monken said.
“And he made a number of plays with his legs, a couple of big third downs, won a design run, one a scramble, did a nice job on a naked where we didn’t get off on the snap count. He dumped it down to Harold (Fannin Jr.) for a first down. So, you can certainly see that there’s a lot to clean up, but that definitely showed up.”
Watson’s contract and injury history still leave the Browns with limited certainty at the position. He has started only 21 games for Cleveland since arriving in 2022 and missed most of 2024 and all of 2025 with injuries.
Sanders showed improvement in training camp and the preseason, according to team reports, after a mixed rookie year that included a late-season starting stretch.
A trade would require Watson to string together more efficient starts through September and October. The Browns would also need to decide they have enough depth once Gabriel comes off injured reserve.
The league’s trading window closes at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 10. No formal trade talks involving Sanders have been reported by team officials this week.
Cleveland’s next game is Sunday at home against Carolina.
