Joe Thomas defends Shedeur Sanders as Cowboys pressure Browns on trade decision
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Joe Thomas defends Shedeur Sanders as Cowboys pressure Browns on trade decision originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Veteran offensive lineman Joe Thomas has come out firmly against moving Shedeur Sanders out of Cleveland, arguing the Browns would be making a reckless decision by shipping him elsewhere before his development runs its course.
Speaking on the Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima on June 30, Thomas stated that keeping Sanders on the roster increases the likelihood that he will earn and hold a starting role long-term.
The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft alongside Dillon Gabriel, with the original design being a controlled quarterback development environment behind veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. That plan collapsed almost immediately. Pickett was moved before Week 1.
Flacco lasted four starts. Gabriel stepped in for six before injury, and Sanders found himself under center for the final seven games of the season without adequate preparation time.
His numbers reflected exactly that kind of premature exposure. Sanders logged 1,400 passing yards and seven touchdown throws but also surrendered 10 interceptions and absorbed 23 sacks across those seven starts. Thomas acknowledged this context directly:
"Shedeur was forced into action in the middle of last year before he was ready. He had some high moments and some low moments, as you'd expect from any quarterback. He's a development project."
Now entering his sophomore year, Sanders faces a quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson, whose long injury absence has set up a genuine battle heading into training camp. Reports from OTAs and spring minicamps suggest Sanders has addressed his decision-making and pass protection awareness, though translating that into regular-season production remains the open question.
Cowboys Enter the Picture, But Cleveland Holds the Cards
Trade speculation connecting Sanders to Dallas has gradually intensified, with the Cowboys identified as the most prominent potential destination alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
The appeal from Dallas's perspective centers on Jerry Jones's willingness to pursue marquee names and Dak Prescott's injury history, which has cost him 45 missed regular-season games since 2020.
Pro Football Network framed the Cowboys' interest bluntly, noting that "Jones could acquire Sanders for relatively cheap and give him the opportunity to develop behind Dak Prescott as the team's long-term backup." In Cleveland, Joe Milton III and Sam Howell are currently competing for the backup role behind Prescott, a battle Sanders would presumably win.
Despite the external noise, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot has reported that the organization is not actively marketing Sanders. That hasn't quieted the speculation, especially with Cleveland refusing to resolve its QB1 question publicly ahead of training camp.
Analyst Ken Carman offered a more nuanced position than simply advocating patience: "I'm just not gonna meet anybody on, 'It's better for Shedeur to sit.' If anybody said that, I think that they're wrong. I want him to start, but I only want him to start if he's ready. If he's not ready, then fine, I'll wait."
That framing captures Cleveland's actual dilemma. Rookie contracts and salary cap structures have made the league less tolerant of prolonged development timelines, yet rushing a quarterback has historically produced the exact outcome the Browns have repeatedly endured across three decades of instability at the position. Sanders must earn the job, but the window for patience is narrowing fast.