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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Heading into Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, there was some speculation that the Cleveland Browns could trade Shedeur Sanders.
The 24-year-old quarterback just threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Browns nearly won, but the team refused to commit to him as their starter going forward over Deshaun Watson. Watson is 31 years old, hasn't done anything to impress the fanbase, and his contract is set to expire after this season.
Yet, the deadline passed, and Sanders remains on the roster, seemingly set to slot in behind Watson for Week 10 and beyond.
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But on Wednesday, Browns reporter Ken Carman explained why he believes Dillon Gabriel has a better chance to stay in Cleveland than either of the other two quarterbacks. "You want to get really into conspiracy here? I think Dillon Gabriel has a better chance to stay than all of them," Carman said. "I'm not trying to be hot takey. I'm being serious.
"I can't draw conclusions. I draw lines out of things I hear. And all we heard is how much he knows the offense. What have they struggled with with the other two quarterbacks? Knowledge of the offense," Carman added. "I don't think either of the starting quarterbacks are long for the roster. I think they're preparing for a future with somebody else who's either on another team or still in college."
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Gabriel was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of Oregon, ahead of Sanders, who was taken in the fifth, and started six games as a rookie after stepping in for Joe Flacco, and the Browns went just 1-5 over that span. Across 10 total appearances last season, Gabriel completed 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions.
Sanders took over afterward and went 3-4 as the starter. Across eight games, he completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions, but also ran for 169 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel had just 86 rushing yards on the season. Sanders was named a replacement for the Pro Bowl.
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It's clear that the organization doesn't have a ton of confidence in either player; otherwise, Watson wouldn't have started the first eight games of the season. But head coach Todd Monken praised Gabriel in preseason for his knowledge of the playbook, preparation, and professionalism, despite being the third-string quarterback.
With two years remaining on his rookie contract after this season, that bodes well for Gabriel's chances to stay on the roster, while Sanders' and Watson's futures in Cleveland remain unknown.
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