After this move the Cleveland Browns have $18,382,956 of cap space for the 2025 season which is more than enough for in-season moves and practice squad elevations. In terms of all teams across the NFL they currently sit 13th.
The market for the Browns’ rookie QB is growing - Dolphins eye him as Tua’s successor in a shocking trade rumor
Posted September 9, 2025
The market for Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is growing, even though one week of the NFL season is in the books and he has yet to play a snap.
Joe Flacco threw two interceptions, though both hit Browns wide receivers first and then landed in the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals defense. Otherwise, Flacco completed 31-of-43 passes (31-of-45 total on the day) for 290 yards and a touchdown.
A missed field goal and a missed extra point contributed to a one-point defeat on Sunday, September 7. And the loss contributed to an online swell of support for the Miami Dolphins to pursue a trade for Sanders after the Indianapolis Colts bested Miami by a score of 33-8.
The Dolphins yanked starting QB Tua Tagovailoa from the game after a 14-of-23 performance that accounted for 114 yards, one TD and two INTs. Backup quarterback Zach Wilson, a former No. 2 overall pick of the New York Jets who is now on his third NFL team in five seasons, went 5-of-8 for 32 yards passing.
Also on Miami’s roster is Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round draft pick in April out of Texas
“Things looked promising for Tagovailoa after the 2023 season, but he struggled a season ago and isn’t off to a great start in 2025. Because of that, Dolphins fans called for Miami to trade for Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders,” Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report wrote Sunday. “Sanders, who was widely expected to be a first-round pick but was taken in the fifth round, is currently the third-string quarterback on the Browns’ depth chart, so he likely won’t get the chance to prove himself in Cleveland any time soon.”
Dolphins Unlikely to Bail on Tua Tagovailoa Early in Season
Despite Miami bailing on Tagovailoa in their season-opening blowout loss, the Dolphins almost certainly aren’t ready to move on from their starting quarterback ahead of Week 2.
Tagovailoa inked a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million in July 2024, which kicked in this season and carries through the 2028 campaign.
That said, Bill Simmons of The Ringer has mentioned Miami head coach Mike McDaniel as one of his top candidates for first coach fired of the 2025 season. If Simmons, and others who have made similar observations are correct, McDaniel could move away from Tagovailoa at some point this year out of self-preservation.
If that happens, the Browns potentially have a player in Sanders that a team like the Dolphins might want.
Browns More Likely to Keep Shedeur Sanders Through Rookie Year Than Trade Him Ahead of Deadline
Cleveland is also unlikely to move either of its rookie quarterbacks anytime soon. Flacco played well enough in Week 1 that there is little chance the Browns will move away from him in the near future.
That said, the schedule includes five straight games against 2024 playoff teams in Weeks 2-6. If he does struggle and end up sidelined at some point, the Browns will make that call in favor of Gabriel, who earned the QB2 spot during the preseason.
As such, Cleveland probably won’t get to see Sanders much, if at all, ahead of the early November trade deadline. Given that, it is difficult to imagine the Browns dealing Sanders during the 2025 campaign, even if they could get something solid in return for him. But injuries and poor play have already begun to create a market for Sanders and other QBs standing on sidelines around the league, and that market should only grow in the weeks and months to come.
Browns Restructure Star Corner’s Contract, Eyes on Bigger Moves
Jack Duffin takes a look at the Cleveland Browns salary cap space now they have restructured Denzel Ward's contract.
Before week one of the season the Cleveland Browns took the logical step to restructure Denzel Ward's contract converting $12,221,000 of his $13,476,000 into a signing bonus giving them additional cap space for the 2025 season. This leaves the minimum base salary for a player of his tenure which is $1,255,000.
Below is his new contract, I would expect the team to return next offseason and restructure him again. There is certainly a chance they could look to extend him with two years remaining but this is something they will only usually do with quarterbacks or star players like Myles Garrett. Denzel Ward would certainly be in that bucket if it wasn't for the injuries which might mean they want him to play out 2026 first.
