Stephen A. Smith wants the New York Giants to give Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders a way off the bench.
With Jaxson Dart out for the remainder of the regular season, the Giants are turning to Jameis Winston. Smith would like New York to explore another option, making his pitch for Sanders on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday morning.
“Let me tell you something right now,” Smith said. “If there was a possible way they could pull it out, I would tell the Giants to go and pursue Shedeur Sanders. I ain’t going to lie to you, that would be what’s on my mind.”
Smith made clear that his interest in Sanders stemmed in part from his doubts about Winston.
“It ain’t about looking for a top 30 quarterback. It’s for looking for a better backup than Jameis Winston. That’s what you are looking for right now,” Smith said.
He also pointed to Winston’s notorious mistakes — which Browns fans are familiar with — arguing that the Giants already know what they have in the veteran.
Browns Still Have Reason to Keep Shedeur Sanders
The Browns have depth at quarterback, but moving Sanders would mean giving up their immediate fallback behind Deshaun Watson.
Sanders remains second on Cleveland’s depth chart, ahead of rookie Taylen Green. Dillon Gabriel is also in the organization, although he is currently on injured reserve with a back injury. Cleveland has options, but its depth would look considerably thinner without Sanders.
His route to the field appeared to be opening before Watson delivered against Tampa Bay. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported before the game that Cleveland would reassess its quarterback situation ahead of the Week 3 home opener.
Watson responded by completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in a 23-19 victory over the Buccaneers. The performance preserved his starting role and gave coach Todd Monken something to build on.
“You could see the difference from week one to week two, and I think we’re just going to continue to grow together,” Monken said Monday.
That leaves Sanders waiting. But one encouraging performance from Watson hardly makes his backup expendable, especially with Gabriel unavailable at this point.
Shedeur Sanders Offers Upside at a Modest Cost
Sanders would give the Giants a 24-year-old quarterback with starting experience and room to develop.
He made seven starts across eight appearances as a rookie, finishing with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed 56.6% of his attempts and took 23 sacks, leaving plenty to clean up before he can establish himself as a reliable starter.
There were flashes worth pursuing. Sanders threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, adding a rushing score, in Cleveland’s 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans last December. That performance showed he could generate offense even while learning the position at the NFL level.
The financial commitment would be manageable. Sanders signed a four-year rookie contract worth approximately $4.6 million in 2025, giving an acquiring team time to evaluate him beyond this season. It would be an interesting situation for the Giants, who have Dart — a member of Sanders’ draft class — returning at some point next season.
Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Gets Trade Push Amid QB Crisis