Why Joe Flacco Trade Indicates Good News For Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns have traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth and sixth round NFL Draft pick. Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is now the backup in Cleveland behind Dillon Gabriel.

This is excellent news for Sanders... why?

Better Opportunity for Sanders to Play

Shedeur Sanders Cleveland Browns Quarterback Trade Joe Flacco Dillon Gabriel NFL Draft Cincinnati Bengals Colorado Buffaloes — Sep 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders has a much better chance to see action after the news that Flacco has been traded. Sanders is the backup behind Gabriel now and with 12 games still remaining, it would be a surprise to not see him get some playing time - unless Gabriel is lights out.

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders was asked by reporters about his thoughts on the Browns trading Flacco, bumping his son up on the depth chart.

“I don’t give a darn about the Browns at all. I care about the Colorado Buffaloes,” Deion Sanders said. “I do love me some Shedeur Sanders though.”

For Colorado fans patiently waiting to cheer Shedeur on in the NFL, this trade is great news. It means Shedeur gets more reps, which hopefully translates to a better transition into the pros.

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Shedeur Sanders Missed at Colorado

The Buffaloes are greatly missing Sheduer Sanders - as a quarterback and as a leader. Both Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter had their jerseys retired and became fan favorites after turning the Colorado program around from a one win team to a 9-4 team.

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Deion Sanders (right) with his son Shedeur Sanders on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Shedeur is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in Colorado history.

Last season, he completed 74 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, threw 37 touchdowns against just 10 picks, and averaged 8.7 yards per throw.

Now, the Buffaloes are struggling to find consistency at quarterback. Despite a busy NFL schedule, Shedeur has stayed plugged into the Colorado program and even offered some leadership from afar.

"I shouldn't see no laughing, no smiling," Shedeur said on a FaceTime call in a video posted by Deion Sanders Jr. on his Well Off Media channel.

Once Crowded Quarterback Room Down to Rookies

After drafting Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns had a very crowded quarterback room. Earlier in the offseason, the Browns had signed Flacco and traded for Kenny Pickett. They joined Deshaun Watson who is still currently recovering from a torn achilles suffered last season.

The Browns were then one of the biggest stories of the draft. They decided to take two quarterbacks in the middle to late rounds; Gabriel in the third and Sanders in the fifth. Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders were all on the active roster during training camp in lead up to the preseason.

In the middle of the preseason, the Browns traded away Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders. Flacco was named the Week 1 starter with Gabriel as his backup and Sanders as the third string. Flacco started the first four games for the Browns before being benched for Gabriel in their last game against the Minnesota Vikings. Gabriel had a solid debut and it was enough for the Browns to decide they could trade Flacco.

This now leaves two rookies on the Browns depth chart with Gabriel and Sanders. It is expected for Cleveland to call up practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe to the 53-man roster before their next game. But the starting quarterback in Gabriel and backup in Sanders are both rookies, which is not a common thing to see for an NFL team.