Shedeur Sanders broke a weeks-long silence on Instagram this week, and the Browns quarterback said nothing with it. No caption. Just Mac DeMarco’s “Chamber of Reflection” playing over the post. It arrived with the Nov. 10 trade deadline getting closer and his name still floating around the league. Cleveland reportedly isn’t listening, though. Deshaun Watson has the Browns at 5-2, and Sanders has attempted one pass this season. Whether the post means anything is a guess. The situation around it is easier to read, and it points one way for now.
Shedeur Sanders’ rare post lands as Browns reportedly plan to keep him
The post itself is hard to read. Sanders has barely posted this season, yet he rarely leaves the conversation. The NFL recently shared a video of him greeting Titans quarterback Cam Ward after Cleveland’s win on Sunday, even though Sanders never took a snap. That has been the pattern since he entered the league. People talk about him whether he types a word or not.The business side is clearer.According to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns are not shopping Sanders or Gabriel. Another team would need to bring an offer Cleveland could not refuse. That could shift as the deadline nears, but nothing in the reporting suggests a sale is close.Sanders made a move of his own earlier this month. He hired Adie von Gontard of Young Money APAA Sports after starting his NFL career without an agent. Adding representation mid-season does not prove he wants out. It does suggest he wants someone watching his options.Outside voices keep pushing the idea. On “UNSPORTSMANLIKE,” ESPN’s Evan Cohen urged the Colts to trade for Sanders and start him. “Shedeur Sanders should be the starting quarterback of the Colts,” Cohen said. “He’s not going to play in Cleveland anytime soon.”
Dillon Gabriel’s return makes the quarterback room more crowded
The Browns activated Gabriel from injured reserve this week. He had been out since a back injury in the preseason. Cleveland now carries Watson, Sanders, Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green on the active roster. Sanders stayed second on Tuesday’s unofficial depth chart, but coach Todd Monken would not lock in the game-day order. Asked Wednesday how Gabriel’s return changes things, he said, “I haven’t gotten there yet.”Not a demotion. Not a promise either.Watson is making the call easier for Cleveland. He threw for 308 yards and ran for a touchdown in the 27-24 win over Tennessee, his first 300-yard game as a Brown. The conversation around him now is about whether he stays beyond this year, not whether Sanders takes over.Sanders started seven games as a rookie, throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. This season he has had almost no chances. Gabriel’s return only adds another option behind Watson, and Cleveland visits Pittsburgh on Sunday. The deadline arrives Nov. 10, which leaves the Browns just under two weeks to decide if any offer beats what they already have.
