Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders has been involved in several trade rumors this offseason. Despite the constant noise surrounding him, the former Colorado football legend has been battling for Cleveland’s starting quarterback gig since his first Browns practice in May.
Heavy Sports’ Anne Erickson recently floated the idea of Sanders to the Detroit Lions in a bold mock trade.
“I know this sounds wild, but hear me out. The Lions weren’t one of the teams in the market for a big-named quarterback in the 2025 draft, which is a good thing, because it wasn’t a great quarterback class,” Erickson wrote. “But, that doesn’t mask the reality that they don’t seem to have much faith in their backup quarterbacks, Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen. Last season, the Lions even brought Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement in the postseason to have a reliable veteran to count on if Goff wasn’t able to take the field. So, if the Lions were to make a trade during the offseason for a new backup to Goff, what about Sanders?”
Erickson proposed that the Lions trade third-year signal-caller Hendon Hooker and a fifth-round pick for Sanders, potentially giving Jared Goff a promising backup option for years to come. This deal would also give the rebuilding Browns more draft capital, but Cleveland fans will likely wonder what could have been if their team trades Sanders before his career even starts.
“The pitch is that the Lions get Sanders, and the Browns get Hooker and a 2026 fifth-round pick,” Erickson wrote. “The Lions have a plethora of picks lined up for 2026, so losing a fifth-round shouldn’t hurt too much. They would still have their coveted first and second round picks. Plus, the Browns have a huge quarterback room, so it would be a better fit for Hooker, who seems to need more time to develop.”
Given Sanders’ well-documented controversies, the Lions would need to prepare for some additional attention from the media. For Sanders, a team like Detroit could do wonders for his maturity and development as a professional. Given the winning culture that has been established and fueled by beloved head coach Dan Campbell, a talented rook like Sanders would only benefit from landing with the Lions.
After going 15-2 last season, Detroit has one of the clearest upward trajectories in football. Armed with one of the strongest young cores in the NFL, the Lions could beef up their youth even more with a trade for Sanders.