https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/shedeur-sanders-trade-rumors-browns-qb-landing-spots/

Shedeur Sanders just made a curious move that could signal a trade is coming in Cleveland

Sanders' decision to hire an agent comes as Cleveland carries four healthy quarterbacks and speculation builds

With the NFL trade deadline coming up on Nov. 10, one of the most interesting names to watch in the trade rumor world is Shedeur Sanders. 

The Browns quarterback made a curious move this week, and it's one that could possibly signify that he might be on his way out of Cleveland. Sanders hired an agent on Wednesday, according to ESPN, after spending the first part of his career without one. Sanders has signed on with Adie von Gontard (CEO of Young Money APAA Sports), who also represents Sanders' former college teammate, Travis Hunter. 

The move was interesting for two big reasons: 

1. As a player who was drafted in 2025, Sanders isn't allowed to start negotiating a new contract with his team until after the 2027 season, so it doesn't make a lot of sense for him hire an agent right now (If he's looking toward 2027, he could simply have waited until after the season to hire an agent). 

2. The last notable player to hire an agent during the middle of the season was Marvin Harrison Jr. The former Cardinals receiver hired an agent for the first time on Oct. 9, and less than 24 hours later, Arizona leaked out news that he was being traded. By Oct. 11, the deal was done, and he was on his way to Houston. 

The only reason it would make sense to hire an agent now is if you need some representation heading into the trade deadline. If you have an agent, they can sniff around and see if you're drawing any interest on the trade market, and if so, they could then try to convince your team that both sides would be better off if you moved on. 

Why a trade might actually make sense

There's already been some speculation that the Browns are open to dealing a quarterback before the deadline. The team has four healthy quarterbacks in Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green. 

Through the first four weeks of the season, Gabriel was on injured reserve, so it made sense to keep all four quarterbacks. Watson served as the starter while Sanders served as the backup with Green being a developmental project. 

With Gabriel now healthy, there's no reason for the Browns to keep four quarterbacks, so it could certainly make a lot of sense to move on from either Sanders or Gabriel. 

Before the season started, there was some speculation that Sanders might ultimately end up as the starting QB in Cleveland if Watson played poorly to start the year, but instead, he's got the Browns off to a 3-2 start, and he has three fourth-quarter comebacks. This is now Watson's team, which makes Sanders expendable. 

Sanders did start seven games for the Browns last year, and new coach Todd Monken gave him a chance to win the job in training camp, but Watson ended up earning the starting spot. At this point, if another team shows any interest in Sanders, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Browns make a deal. 
Here are a few teams that could make sense as a possible landing spot: 

• Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield is dealing with a thumb injury and that has left undrafted rookie quarterback Jalen Daniels as the starter in Tampa Bay. The Bucs don't have much experience behind him -- Easton Stick has been serving as his backup for the past two weeks -- so adding Sanders could certainly make some sense. 

• Jaguars. This would reunite Sanders with his old buddy, Travis Hunter. The backup QB spot in Jacksonville seems pretty fluid. The Jags cut Nick Mullens in training camp before making a trade for Quinn Ewers in late August. If Liam Coen feels like Sanders is an upgrade from Ewers, the Jags could potentially show some interest. 

• Broncos. A trade to the Broncos would send Shedeur back to Colorado, where he spent the final two years of his college career while playing for his dad, Deion Sanders. The Broncos obviously have Bo Nix, but things get a little dicey after that. Jarrett Stidham is the backup QB in Denver and the Broncos also have Sam Ehlinger, but Sean Payton might be willing to make a move for a new backup. Payton actually has a relationship with Shedeur and his family that dates back more than a decade. "I saw [Shedeur] when he was in junior high, and then I saw him in high school, and then I saw him when he was a sophomore in high school when they were on their way to Florida," Payton said before the 2024 NFL Draft. "He's going to, like there'll be this chip on his shoulder, and beware because this guy is going to play in this league."

• Cowboys. If you're making a list of landing spots for Shedeur Sanders, you might as well include the Cowboys. Deion Sanders spent five seasons in Dallas during his Hall of Fame career, and, given that fact alone, Jerry Jones might be intrigued by the idea of bringing in Shedeur as a possible backup to Dak Prescott. 

• Dolphins (0-5). The Dolphins seem content to tank the season away, so they might not be interested in making a move, but if they want to add a quarterback to the roster, Sanders would be a solid choice. The Dolphins have Malik Willis as their starter and they have Kyle McCord behind him, so there's certainly some room on the roster for a player with starting experience like Sanders. 

No one knows for sure if Shedeur is going to be traded, but he's certainly someone you're going to want to keep an eye on between now and the trade deadline.