The Cleveland Browns keep winning, and somehow the quarterback conversation keeps getting louder.
Heading into Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns have Dillon Gabriel back on the 53-man roster and are reportedly prepared to carry four quarterbacks for the rest of the season. That includes a quarterback room that has become impossible to ignore, even with Cleveland sitting at five wins in its first seven games.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, general manager Andrew Berry has options, including quarterback-related moves that are being floated around. But there’s little belief around the league that Shedeur Sanders, Taylen Green, or Gabriel would bring much value on the market.
The bigger immediate question is what Cleveland does behind starter Deshaun Watson. Most expected Sanders to stay in his backup role once Gabriel was activated, but Browns head coach Todd Monken gave no clear answer when asked about the plan.
For now, that leaves the situation open, and maybe intentionally so. Monken may simply prefer not to tip his hand before facing the Steelers, or he may not feel like laying out the details publicly. He also knows how every word can ripple through the fan base and the media.
What matters most inside the building is the same thing that has mattered all along: wins. Watson is delivering those right now, and Cleveland would probably love to keep the quarterback discussion as quiet as possible. The cleanest outcome would be for nobody to know who the backup is at all, though that only happens if the Browns keep three quarterbacks active on Sundays.
The final answer on Sanders versus Gabriel will come 90 minutes before kickoff, when the inactive reports are released for Week 8.
In Other News...
Browns Could Find Two Crucial Defensive Upgrades In Colts Sell-Off
The Colts decision to start unloading veteran talent has created a ripple effect around the league, and its the kind of move that naturally puts the Browns on alert. Indianapolis has already sent out Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as part of a broader rebuild, which opens the door for other names on that roster to surface in trade chatter as teams look for help before the season gets much deeper.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious. The Browns could use upgrades up front and in the secondary, and players such as Stewart and Charvarius Ward fit the kind of profile that would make sense if the Colts keep listening on veterans. Nothing there is confirmed, of course, but once a team begins a sell-off, the next question for contenders is which pieces might be worth chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Receiver Is Becoming A Bigger Part Of This 5-2 Start
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For the Browns, that kind of development matters because every added layer to the passing game makes the whole operation harder to defend. Boston is part of a rookie class around the league that is already shaping games for teams with very different goals, and his steady rise gives Cleveland another element to lean on as the season moves deeper into October and the questions get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Could Still Add The Missing Piece To A Dangerous Defense
The Browns are still doing what contenders do in October and November: keeping one eye on the standings and another on the trade market. Even with a defensive line that has played well overall, Cleveland knows the edge group could use another piece if it wants to keep pace in the AFC North and squeeze even more out of a unit that has already been a strength.
That is why defensive end has become such a logical area to monitor ahead of the trade deadline, with names like Khalil Mack, Jermaine Johnson and YaYa Diaby surfacing as possible fits depending on performance and contract status. The appeal is straightforward for Cleveland - a stronger outside pass rush and sturdier run defense could make a good front even harder to deal with, and the Browns do not seem ready to let a chance like that pass without exploring every option. [Read more 🡒]