Getty

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Dez Bryant is not buying the idea that the latest Shedeur Sanders trade rumors would necessarily spell trouble for the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

Bryant, a former All-Pro wide receiver, made it clear that he still believes Sanders has franchise-quarterback potential. He also suggested that leaving Cleveland might actually help the second-year passer.

“I think he’s a franchise QB and getting him out of Cleveland will be a plus for him,” Bryant said. “The Saints would be a great fit for him!”

Bryant later added another potential landing spot.

“Arizona is a great fit as well,” Bryant said.

The Saints would be an interesting but complicated fit. New Orleans drafted Tyler Shough in the second round in 2025 and got a promising rookie season out of him once he had an opportunity. Shough played in 11 games with nine starts, completing 221 of 327 passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also posted a 91.3 passer rating and was named a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That does not exactly scream wide-open path for Sanders. The Cardinals, however, could be a more realistic team to watch if the Browns ever reached the point where they were willing to move him. Arizona has been sorting through its own quarterback reset, and Sanders would give the franchise a young, high-profile passer with upside.

Browns Having Trade ‘Talks’ About Shedeur Sanders

The trade speculation started after Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland said calls are being made about Sanders’ availability.

“There are talks, ongoing calls, about the availability of Shedeur Sanders,” Rizzo said. “The Browns, for whatever reason, don’t think he’s the guy. That’s my opinion. I’m sure they’ll say, ‘What are you talking about. He’s in a quarterback battle.’ I’m going to say right now for the record, I don’t think the four quarterbacks are going to camp on July 28. I don’t. Nothing is imminent, but the calls are being made. I think it’s in the best interest of both parties here.”

For now, the Browns have not given any public indication that Sanders is being pushed out. Cleveland has carefully framed the quarterback situation as an open competition between Sanders and Deshaun Watson. Head coach Todd Monken did not name a starter before the team broke for summer, and he made it clear the competition will continue when the Browns return for training camp.

“We’ll start off all camp just like we’ve been doing,” Monken said. “We’ll alternate those guys.”

Monken admitted he would have preferred to have more clarity by now. But he said the Browns are not there yet.

“I’d love to have it now,” Monken said. “We just don’t.”

Shedeur Sanders Still Gives Browns Upside

Sanders’ rookie season was uneven, but it also gave the Browns enough to evaluate. He went 3-4 as a starter and finished with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The numbers were not outstanding, but he showed enough flashes late in the year to remain part of the long-term conversation.

Monken — who was hired in January — has pointed to clear progress from Sanders this offseason.

“I just think he’s doing a better job. I think he’s being more decisive,” Monken said. “It just feels like he’s making quicker decisions. The ball’s coming out of his hands, which he’s gonna have to do. Not that he doesn’t have playmaking ability, because he does, but his ability to process quicker and get the ball out of his hands and eliminate lost yardage plays is going to be huge for us to be able to stack plays and score, which is ultimately the number one thing here.”

If Sanders wins the job and proves he can produce, Cleveland would have a young quarterback on a very manageable contract with room to grow.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote