The Cleveland Browns made an interesting decision to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and they’ll be willing to live with it for the rest of the season. But with the NFL trade deadline just two weeks away, the Browns may have a way to ease the logjam if they want to.
Cleveland didn’t have to worry about that until this week, with Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve since cutoff day in late August. The Browns opened the 21-day practice window as best they could, and instead of returning him to IR, which would have ended his season, they returned him to the active roster on Monday.
The Browns waived rookie Karsen Ryan to make room for Gabriel, allowing them to retain developmental prospect Taylen Green. Now with the NFL emergency QB rules in place, Cleveland will theoretically be short a man as long as this unusual arrangement lasts.
That’s why insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has an interesting possibility for the Browns’ backup QBs, saying that while they may not actively want to trade Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, they might if the right deal comes along.
“There’s a world where if you hang onto all four of those guys long enough, maybe someone will come along and make you an offer you can’t refuse. They’re not buying them, and they’re not going to trade Shedeur or Dillon. But if you hang onto them long enough and you get close to Nov. 10, you never know what can happen,” Cabot said.
“They don’t trade them and they don’t want to trade Shedeur or Dillon. But if you hold them long enough and you get close to Nov. 10, you never know what can happen.”
➡️ @MaryKayCabot w/ @CLETalking on why the #Browns are keeping four… pic.twitter.com/bMy6JpdmbX
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 27, 2026
With the rate of quarterback injuries this season, there’s certainly a chance another team could find themselves in a bind that would make them consider acquiring Gabriel or Sanders. With the lengths the Browns went to in order to keep Green, a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s unlikely they’ll part with the rookie at this point.
There’s also a chance Cleveland could make changes to the depth chart behind starter Deshaun Watson, but that could be more trouble than it’s worth. Elevating Gabriel ahead of Sanders could be a huge media distraction that could distract a team with real playoff aspirations right now.
If the Browns come away with a quarterback at the deadline, they’ll at least have enough depth to survive Watson’s injury while chasing the AFC North title.
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