Shedeur Sanders just made a move that adds more smoke around the Browns trading him before the deadline
Shedeur Sanders is catching some attention midweek for a move he just made ahead of the Week 6 game against the Ravens.
Shedeur Sanders made seven starts for the Cleveland Browns as a fifth-round rookie last season. Through five games this season, the second-year quarterback has been on the field for just one snap. It was a completed pass that went for zero yards in the win over the Carolina Panthers.
Sanders lost the starting quarterback battle during training camp and is now the backup to Deshaun Watson. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player who hoped to be the starter. There’s no clear path to him taking the field right now unless Watson’s play gets to a point where the Browns can’t keep sending him out there, or Watson suffers an injury.
Sanders has now made a move that’s going to get a lot of people talking about his future in Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders signs with an agent for the first time
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sanders has signed with an agent for the first time in his NFL career. He’s now represented by Adie Von Gontard, the CEO of Young Money APAA Sports. It’s the same representation used by his former Colorado teammate, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter.
The timing is hard to ignore with the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10. Sanders hiring an agent a few weeks before the deadline makes you think he could have his new representation look around the league to see if any team would want him. Nothing has been made official on that front, but you can’t rule anything out.
Browns have a quarterback decision on the horizon
Cleveland also has a quarterback crunch coming. The Browns could have four quarterbacks on the roster once Dillon Gabriel is activated from injured reserve. When that happens, Cleveland needs to decide whether it wants to keep Sanders or Gabriel around.
Watson and rookie Taylen Green are locked in as quarterbacks on this roster. That leaves Sanders and Gabriel competing for one spot, and the Browns haven’t let either one go yet. Sanders’ latest move potentially throws some gas on the fire when it comes to Cleveland trading him to another team.
Any team kicking the tires on Sanders would be looking at a mixed bag from his rookie season. He went 3-4 as the Browns’ starting quarterback with seven touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and 1,400 passing yards. Sanders put the ball in harm’s way a ton, but he also showed the ability to create explosive plays because he’ll push the ball downfield.
It’s unclear if the Browns can actually move Sanders in a trade. It takes two parties to tango, and another team has to see enough in him to give something up. However, if the Browns can get a draft pick for the former fifth-round pick, it’s a move they should make. Getting something back for him beats watching him sit on the bench or parting ways for nothing.
Sanders hiring an agent is going to raise the eyebrows of Browns fans who are putting two and two together and think he could be on his way out. The next few weeks leading up to Nov. 10 will be telling.
