The Cleveland Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, finally giving Shedeur Sanders a chance to see the field.
Sanders is now Dillon Gabriel’s presumed backup, meaning the team’s two quarterback selections in the 2025 NFL draft make up the team’s plans under center. At least for the rest of the current campaign.
The Browns have two picks in the 2026 NFL draft after their historic draft night trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags might be a lot better than anyone bargained for, though, making that extra pick they gave up their 2025 No. 2 overall pick for a worse asset.
Regardless of what the distant future holds, as the NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe noted, Sanders will now wear a headset on the sidelines at Huntington Bank Field and elsewhere for the rest of this season. Wolfe labeled it a “Youth QB evaluation” in Cleveland.
Flacco figures to get chances immediately in Cincinnati, with Jake Browning struggling mightily following a strong start to the season. With Joe Burrow injured indefinitely from turf toe, Flacco is a proven veteran hand with plenty of experience playing in AFC North environments who can potentially mitigate the damage.
The Browns clearly didn’t care about his experience any longer. It wasn’t getting them anywhere, with Flacco accumulating two touchdown tosses and six interceptions through Cleveland’s first five games.
Had Flacco kept turnovers low, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported the Browns would’ve likely kept the 40-year-old in as QB1. Cabot didn’t think Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry, and Co. were in any rush to get Gabriel out there.
Things dramatically changed for Flacco. Then they changed for Gabriel. Now, Sanders is one injury away from being Cleveland’s starting signal-caller, unless Stefanski wants to become a super villain to fans of the “Grown QB” around the country and consider practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe for backup snaps instead.