A fresh round of Shedeur Sanders trade chatter is coming for Cleveland, and it has less to do with the Browns’ on-field results than a business move that usually gets people talking.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that Sanders, who spent draft night and the opening stretch of his NFL career without an agent, has now signed with Adie von Gontard, the CEO of Young Money APAA Sports, for representation. With that move, YMAPAA now represents both Sanders and former Colorado teammate Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That development lands at a time when Sanders’ future already feels like a live topic. Just last week, multiple reports said the Browns were “not looking to trade” the backup quarterback and were instead committed to playing “the long game” with his development.
But any shift in representation is bound to restart the speculation, especially with the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline approaching.
The timing stands out because Sanders had briefly looked like he might climb into the Browns’ starting job. That possibility sharpened after Deshaun Watson struggled badly in Cleveland’s 34-10 Week 1 loss at the Jaguars. Watson then steadied things, helping the Browns string together three straight wins, and a Wednesday report said that “Watson's runway is longer than it was six weeks ago.”
For now, Watson is expected to start Sunday when Cleveland hosts the 4-1 Baltimore Ravens, and again on Oct. 25 when the Browns visit the 0-5 Tennessee Titans.
Sanders’ new agent also invites comparisons to another recent situation around the league. Earlier in October, a report said Marvin Harrison Jr. had officially hired Todd France and Tory Dandy as his agents on Sept.
- Then, after Arizona traded Harrison to the Houston Texans in a deal that became official Monday, one story said that hiring those agents had laid “the groundwork” for his eventual exit from Arizona.
None of that means Cleveland has to move Sanders before the deadline. The Browns are 3-2, and Watson’s injury history could easily push general manager Andrew Berry to keep a capable QB2 in house - especially one who won multiple games for the team as a rookie.
Still, Wednesday’s news is enough to keep the rumor mill spinning. Even if the Browns have said one thing publicly, a move like this will leave some around the league wondering whether Sanders sees a long-term future in Cleveland at all.
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From Jacksonvilles perspective, that makes the trip to Houston feel winnable, especially with Barzilla also pointing to defensive injury effects that have complicated the Texans balance on that side of the ball. He flagged a few under-the-radar names worth watching and still called for a tight game, but his slight edge goes to the Jaguars, which says plenty about how much Houston still has to clean up before this rivalry feels settled again. [Read more 🡒]