The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may already have their franchise quarterback, but it doesn’t mean that you’re ever done looking for ones.
The Buccaneers enter the 2026 season in a solid position with Baker Mayfield entrenched as their starting quarterback. The former No. 1 overall pick has established himself as a top quarterback in Tampa Bay ever since he took the reins from Tom Brady, leading the Bucs to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two seasons along with throwing 41 touchdowns in 2024, the second-most in the NFL.
However, the major topic is Mayfield’s future and his potential contract extension. The Pro Bowl quarterback’s deal is up after the 2026 season and neither side have inched any closer to an agreement.
It’s the reason why Pro Football Network’s Cooper Kleinberg suggests that Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of five names that could be traded as training camp approaches. Sanders is currently involved in a quarterback competition with former Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“The Browns have a complete logjam in the quarterback room, meaning one of Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green, or Shedeur Sanders is likely to leave the team ahead of the regular season,” said Kleinberg. “ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo recently revealed that the Browns are fielding calls for the second-year quarterback, noting, ‘There are talks and ongoing calls about the availability of Shedeur Sanders.’ Ultimately, this report makes it all the more likely that Sanders is the odd man out.”
Shedeur Sanders Expected to Generate Trade Interest Around NFL
Kleinberg mentions the Buccaneers — along with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers — that would be considered ideal landing spots.
“Although the box score suggests Sanders struggled in limited action last season, as evidenced by his 7 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, the former college star still showed off his mobility and arm talent on several occasions,” said Kleinberg. “Expect teams with uncertainty at the QB2 position to reach out about the Brownsâ talented young signal-caller.”
Shedeur Sanders Posts Solid Rookie Season Despite Underwhelming Supporting Cast
Sanders has been under constant scrutiny since the 2025 NFL Draft process when the projected first-round pick dropped all the way down to the fifth round. There were questions over his character and his questionable interviews leading into the draft.
Despite entering the 2025 NFL season as the third-string quarterback, Sanders emerged as the Browns’ starting quarterback for the final seven games of the year. All things considered, he was solid, leading Cleveland to a 3-4 record with one of the worst supporting casts in the league. He also led the Browns to a win in his first start, a 24-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, which snapped a three-game losing streak for Cleveland.
Considering Sanders is only 24 years old and still developing after a decent rookie season, it wouldn’t be a bad move for the Buccaneers to take a chance on him. Sanders obviously has first round talent and he almost led Cleveland to a .500 record in his starts despite the fact that the Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Browns won just two games before he was inserted into the starting lineup with Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel as the starters.
Tampa Bay’s depth chart at quarterback after Mayfield consists of Jake Browning, Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels. With the exception of Browning, the Buccaneers’ quarterbacks don’t have experience. In fact, Browning’s 10 starts in his seven years in the NFL are only three more than Sanders.
Considering Mayfield’s uncertain future, it wouldn’t be a bad move for Sanders.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Buccaneers Floated as Shedeur Sanders Landing Spot Amid Browns QB ‘Logjam’ appeared first on HEAVY.