3 Teams That Should Trade for Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns have a surplus of quarterbacks following their anticlimactic positional battle. Could they trade fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders?

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders looks on during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Controversy seems to follow Shedeur Sanders wherever he goes. While much of it was encouraged by the young quarterback and his father/coach, Deion Sanders, during his college days with the Colorado Buffaloes, the issue has also been ongoing in the NFL, albeit through no fault of his own this time. It started in the 2025 NFL Draft, when he plummeted down the board amid character concerns and questionable interviews, before the Cleveland Browns ended his slide with the 144th-overall pick.

However, the spotlight remained on Sanders in Ohio, where he was thrown into a highly publicized quarterback competition against Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. He's done his part, kept his head down, said the right things, and taken advantage of the opportunities that were given to him. Things came to a head when he was given the starting nod in the Browns' first preseason bout against the Carolina Panthers.

With Flacco resting and Pickett and Gabriel sidelined with hamstring injuries, Sanders threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-23 completion, proving to the world that he can lead an offense against NFL-caliber competition. Since then, he hurt his shoulder, lost the Week 1 starting gig to Flacco, and has had his future in Cleveland thrown into question. The Browns may still have grand plans for Shedeur Sanders, but some have surmised that he was never a real candidate for QB1 to begin with. If so, perhaps it's best they trade him somewhere he'll get a real opportunity.

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates his touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

These teams could thrive with Shedeur Sanders under center

1. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have a solid roster. They finished 8-9 in the 2024 NFL season behind a solid defense and a lethal rushing attack, overcoming an uninspiring passing game led by Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco. With Flacco now with the Cleveland Browns, the Colts entrusted their franchise to a quarterback competition between Richardson and New York Giants castoff Daniel Jones.

VAN GINKEL PICK-6! 🚨

📺: #MINvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/dTkLrnbCOh

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Jones wound up coming out on top, which is much more an indictment of Richardson's lack of development than an endorsement of Jones' capabilities. Shedeur Sanders would instantly be the most promising quarterback in the room for Indianapolis. He could do quite a bit of damage alongside Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., and Josh Downs.

2. Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have Super Bowl aspirations this season after finishing 10-7 last year and making an appearance in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. While they still have a ton of talent on the roster, all the hope in LA hinges on the health and performance of 37-year-old, 17-year veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Considering he's already dealing with a lingering back issue along with rumors of severe regression, the Rams would be wise to have a solid contingency plan in place, a much better one than Jimmy Garoppolo. Trading for Shedeur Sanders would give them a low-cost prospect with towering potential and allow him to learn from one of the best QBs in league history. Letting him take over the offense with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Kyren Williams at his disposal could mark the beginning of a dynasty.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is sacked by Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

3. San Francisco 49ers

Like the Rams, the San Francisco 49ers will also be hoping to establish themselves as a top contender this season. Last year, they took a huge step back after a Super Bowl run in 2023, going just 6-11.

Their largest issue wasn't quarterback Brock Purdy. In fact, he actually led a decent offense despite the inconsistency and injuries surrounding him on the depth chart. However, San Francisco may have already hit its ceiling with Purdy at the helm. Putting Shedeur Sanders into Kyle Shanahan's system could significantly raise the team's potential and keep them in the NFL's upper echelon for years to come.