Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel Trade Reportedly Not Expected amid Browns' QB Decision

Heading into their final preseason game on Saturday, the Cleveland Browns aren't looking to trade one of their rookie quarterbacks with the deadline for cutting rosters down to 53 players looming.

Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained the Browns aren't expected to trade Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel:

"They're close to finalizing their plans in the quarterback room. They could keep four quarterbacks but today could be a determining factor depending how it goes with the rookies. Joe Flacco will get some reps; they're thinking 20-25 reps for the starters in the third preseason game. Then you go to Dillon Gabriel, who gets the second crack at it. Then you get Shedeur Sanders, he will get some run. Kenny Pickett is still hurt, so he's somewhere in this equation but he's been banged up for really the last month. So, the question is, do the Browns carry him on the roster? Do they maybe put him on short-term IR, give him four weeks to start the season. But the feeling right now is they like how Gabriel and Sanders are developing. I don't expect them to trade either one. They're going to roll through the weekend, see what these guys can do. They like what they're doing."

Pickett suffered a hamstring injury early in training camp that has prevented him from playing in the preseason. He won't play on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Despite speculation early in training camp that the Browns would have to trade one of their quarterbacks, they have consistently maintained it was a possibility to keep all of them.

General manager Andrew Berry told reporters on July 25 that they view the last five spots on the 53-man roster as "developmental" spots for any position.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced earlier this week that Joe Flacco will be the starter in Week 1. The depth chart behind him has not yet been determined, though the order in which quarterbacks will be used against the Rams may provide some hints.

Flacco will start on Saturday, followed by Gabriel then Sanders. Both rookies have shown promise in the preseason. Sanders went 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8.

Gabriel, who sat out the Panthers game due to a hamstring injury, finished 13-of-18 for 143 yards with one interception against the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 16. Sanders missed the game due to an oblique injury.

Given that Flacco is not a long-term solution at quarterback for the Browns, trading either or both rookies unless there was a huge return coming back never made a lot of sense for the organization.

If this season goes south early, the Browns can get an extended look at either Gabriel or Sanders to see if they can be a starting option for 2026. It seems like they will both be on the roster when the Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.