The Browns aren’t shopping their young quarterbacks.
That’s the message coming out of Cleveland as the team appears set to move ahead with Deshaun Watson as its starter over Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Even with outside chatter picking up about quarterback-needy teams around the league, a trade doesn’t sound like part of the Browns’ plan.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland is not planning to move Sanders or Gabriel. Cabot reported on Sunday, as Watson prepared for his first home start of the season, that the Browns have “no plans” to trade either quarterback.
“The Browns have no plans to trade Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel even though a number of NFL quarterbacks have already suffered significant injuries this season, including the Giants’ Jaxson Dart, the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and the Bears’ Caleb Williams,” Cabot wrote for Cleveland.com on Sunday.
The timing of the report matters because the quarterback market has been squeezed by injuries across the league. The New York Giants are reportedly looking to add another quarterback or two after the season-ending injury to Jaxson Dart.
The Washington Commanders could also need help depending on how long Jayden Daniels is out with an elbow injury. Caleb Williams is expected to miss time after a hamstring injury last week.
That kind of league-wide chaos can create opportunities, and in theory the Browns could have turned one of their passers into extra assets, whether that meant help for now or draft capital for later. Instead, Cleveland appears comfortable keeping both Sanders and Gabriel in the room as depth behind Watson.
In Other News...
Denzel Ward Is Finally Being Used Like Browns Fans Always Wanted
Under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, Denzel Ward is being deployed the way Browns fans have long wanted, with more freedom to shadow opponents top wideouts instead of staying locked into a more rigid assignment. It has given Clevelands best corner a chance to lean into the part of his game that has always stood out most, and it showed in the Browns 21-18 win, where he drew a major share of the coverage work against Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan finished with just one catch for 12 yards, another reminder of how disruptive Ward can be when hes allowed to travel with a No. 1 target. He has often been underrated in past seasons, but his coverage ability and pass breakup production have consistently placed him among the leagues best corners, and this new approach only adds to the sense that Cleveland is finally maximizing a key piece of its defense. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken May Already Be Changing Something In Cleveland
The Browns got a win over Carolina in Week 3, but it came with plenty of the usual reminders that this offense still has work to do. The home crowd saw a low-output performance and a handful of penalties, while the individual evaluations from the game painted a mixed picture for both rookies and established starters. Even in a victory, the sense around the building is that the margin for error remains thin.
What has drawn attention is the early coaching imprint Todd Monken appears to be leaving on the group. The article points to a possible shift in how Cleveland is being shaped offensively, even as the team turns quickly to the next challenge in Week 4. For a Browns team trying to stabilize its identity, the bigger question may be whether the changes already showing up can hold up once the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Face An Early Test That Could Change Everything
The Browns win over the Panthers did more than get them back on track. It pushed Cleveland to 2-1 and into a tie for first place in the AFC North, a spot that changes the feel of the season this early. After a handful of recap pieces and breakdowns around the victory, the bigger picture is starting to come into focus: this is no longer just about recovering from one bad week, but about proving the opening month can mean something.
Now comes a far more revealing measuring stick. Cleveland is set to host the Steelers in a nationally televised matchup, and those divisional games tend to say plenty about where a team really stands. For the Browns, the timing makes it especially interesting, because this one arrives before the season has even settled in and could start shaping how seriously the rest of the AFC North takes them. [Read more 🡒]