Former NFL QB Says Browns View Shedeur Sanders as a Trade Asset

The Cleveland Browns' quarterback battle has produced some noteworthy takeaways throughout the early part of training camp. After an underwhelming start and an untimely hamstring injury, former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett is back at practice.

On Saturday, August 2, Browns third-rounder Dillon Gabriel got his first chance to work with the first-team offense, throwing to the starters in 11-on-11 drills. 144th-overall pick Shedeur Sanders was seemingly building momentum, impressing throughout minicamp, OTAs, and the first two weeks of training camp.

He recently earned an opportunity to test his mettle against Cleveland's starting defense, building hope that he would get to work with the first-team offense soon and possibly even be named the QB1 ahead of Week 1. Unfortunately, all of that headway came to a grinding halt, with Sanders missing practice on August 2 due to reported "arm soreness."

Shedeur Sanders's injury update suggests he could be on the trading block for the Cleveland Browns

This was a very peculiar development. While Shedeur Sanders has gained notoriety for being the first one on the field and the last one off for the Browns throughout the offseason so far, he's also received by far the fewest number of reps between Cleveland's four quarterback candidates. That made fans and analysts around the league question how he could miss a crucial opportunity to gain ground in the competition with "arm soreness," especially with Kenny Pickett still not throwing.

Considering the fact that Dillon Gabriel was allowed to work with the first-team offense that day, that one missed practice could have been incredibly damaging for Sanders's starting prospects. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert believes that it means his future with the Browns could be in jeopardy.

Reacting to the injury update on X, Benkert posted: "This is what they do before a trade."

Benkert isn't exactly an insider, but he does have unique knowledge of the behind-the-scenes operations in the NFL, having spent one season as a backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2021. The Browns building up Sanders as a legitimate contender for their QB1 slot, steadily releasing news about his impressive play, but never giving him a real shot would be a solid game plan to increase his trade value to cut bait with him ahead of a loaded 2026 quarterback class.