The Cleveland Browns quarterback uncertainty is still on. As head coach, Todd Monken still hasn't decided the QB1 for the 2026 season. QB Shedeur Sanders has impressed in the off-season practice, and that has reduced the gap between him and veteran Deshaun Watson. But it takes a new turn with trade speculation for Sanders.

Putting everything into perspective, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho has given his thoughts on the matter. Talking on the Speakeasy podcast, Acho said:

"If you can find a willing buyer for Shedeur Sanders, you know what it is. You buy low, you sell high," Acho said, "If you got Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, you can probably acquire more than a fifth-round pick for him. You don’t need to keep Shedeur and Deshaun Watson on the same depth chart for two years."

With Cleveland yet to name a starting quarterback, Sanders' place in the long-term plans remains one of the team's biggest offseason questions. That uncertainty is part of the reason trade speculation continues to surface around Sanders.

Acho argued on Speakeasy that keeping both QBs made no sense, adding that Shedeur Sanders carries too much cultural weight to be sitting on a bench as a backup.

If Watson falters, Acho warned, the pressure to bench him will mount fast. And in that scenario, having Shedeur Sanders sitting behind him is not a situation that works for anyone.

Acho said, "Shedeur needs to be a starter, but he does not need to be your backup. Let him be somebody else's backup. Let's let somebody else deal with that. So, if Shedeur is not going to be a starter in Cleveland, let him go be somebody else's backup."

Meanwhile, Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo of ESPN has also revealed that the Browns are receiving calls for a possible Sanders trade, and this comes from a very credible source.

Source reveals Shedeur Sanders can be acquired

Tony Rizzo of ESPN revealed the Browns are fielding trade calls for Sanders.

"Sanders could be acquired for the right price, but the Browns are not actively shopping him to teams," the source said. "The team is looking to accumulate draft picks for the upcoming draft, but also is not in fire sale mode. The only player they're not interested in moving is [CB] Denzel Ward."

According to Jason Jones of Round Table Sports, trading Sanders in 2026 would go against everything the Browns have publicly committed to. The organization has made it clear they want a fair quarterback competition, and moving Sanders before that plays out would contradict that message entirely.

Jones laid out the two scenarios. If Sanders wins the job and performs, it opens up a 2027 draft conversation, and if he starts but struggles, Cleveland still has the draft capital to go find their long-term answer next year.

Either way, trading him in 2026, unless it is at the deadline following poor performance, would be against what the team has said so far.

Sanders finished 2025 with 1,400 yards and seven TDs last year. He showed flashes of promise, so his stock is definitely worth value. Now it all comes down to which team will be willing to acquire him.

Do you think Shedeur Sanders will be traded this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Rudra Dubey