The Cleveland Browns already have a complicated situation at the quarterback position. The franchise has four quarterbacks in its structure, although only three are currently on the active roster because Dillon Gabriel was placed on the injured reserve list (IR) with a back injury that will keep him out for at least the first month of the season. Given this scenario, a question emerges: could the Browns add a fifth quarterback?
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Jared Mueller of Dawgs By Nature from SB Nation raised the possibility of Cleveland claiming quarterback Joe Milton III after the Dallas Cowboys decided to release him on Monday, August 31.
“Just like Cleveland, the Dallas Cowboys continued their roster juggling on Monday, waiving QB Joe Milton, who many believed would be the team’s primary backup to QB Dak Prescott,” Mueller wrote.
The Browns currently hold the sixth spot in the NFL waiver order, a position that could give them an advantage if they decide to claim Milton.
“Given Milton’s athletic ability and big arm, he fits HC Todd Monken’s traits for a quarterback,” Mueller continued. “While Cleveland could choose to claim Milton and waive a player at another position, that seems unlikely. Instead, the addition of Milton would likely lead to the departure of either Shedeur Sanders or the rookie Taylen Green. With Milton’s experience and Green entering his first season, Sanders seems like the odd man out if the Browns were to claim Milton.”
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If Cleveland decides to add Milton and that forces the team to move on from Sanders, the franchise would be more likely to explore a trade for the quarterback rather than place him on waivers.
Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and finished last season as the starter in the final seven games of his rookie campaign with the Browns. He also spent the entire offseason competing with Deshaun Watson for the QB1 role, a battle Watson ultimately won in late August.
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Still, Sanders is expected to begin the season as the backup and would have a significant opportunity to regain the starting job if Watson fails to meet expectations, a scenario that does not seem far-fetched.
The Browns’ decision to keep four quarterbacks during the initial cutdown process to reach the 53-man roster had already raised questions and fueled speculation that one of them could be used as a trade asset.
Gabriel was the most likely candidate to leave and that possibility remains. However, his back injury and placement on injured reserve complicate any immediate move.
Depending on how the first four games of the season unfold, Gabriel could return healthy and compete for a backup role behind a promoted Sanders and ahead of a relegated Watson.
But if Watson remains the starter and Sanders continues as his primary backup, Gabriel could become an attractive trade option after the strong performance he delivered in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots.