Watch: Shedeur Sanders on video
The trade speculation around Shedeur Sanders can be filed away, at least for now. NFL insider James Palmer reported this week that the Cleveland Browns have no intention of trading their second-year quarterback — a firmer stance than the one circulating earlier this month, when a Sports Illustrated report kept a Sanders deal on the table amid Cleveland’s four-quarterback roster squeeze.
Palmer’s reasoning tracks with what the Browns have watched all spring. Sanders, he said, “is a player that they’re seeing improve, that they have under control for the next several years, and don’t have a heavy financial commitment into. He has not caused any problems behind the scenes in the building that would force them to part ways with him by any stretch.” Palmer added that he expects both Sanders and Deshaun Watson to be on the roster when the season opens — and possibly for its duration.
Why it matters
The logic holds up under inspection, which is the standard that matters here. Sanders has two seasons left on his rookie contract beyond 2026, costs almost nothing against the cap, and reportedly closed the gap on Watson during OTAs and minicamp. Trading a cheap, improving 24-year-old quarterback before learning what he is would be the kind of decision this franchise spent decades making and has lately tried to stop making. Watson, meanwhile, has not taken a game snap since tearing his Achilles in October 2024, and his durability remains the central question hanging over the competition.
The timing gives the report weight. Rookies report to Berea on July 23, veterans follow on July 28, and head coach Todd Monken has said the starting job will be decided on the practice field. A settled trade posture means the competition gets to play out on its merits rather than under the shadow of a phone call from another front office.
For fantasy purposes, this stabilizes Sanders as one of the more interesting late-round dynasty holds in the league — a young quarterback with a live path to starting on a roster that just committed to keeping him. Redraft players should stay patient on Cleveland’s skill positions: Jerry Jeudy and Harold Fannin Jr. are hard to price until the Week 1 starter is named, and Watson’s health history means Sanders could inherit the job at any point.
