Getty
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have among the worst quarterback situations in the NFL heading into 2026, an area the next head coach is likely to address as soon as possible.
Cleveland has yet to decide on who that coach will be, but Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, 30, and Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, 35, appear to be the two frontrunners.
Neither will have any ties whatsoever to second-year QBs Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, or veteran Deshaun Watson who is entering the final season of his contract in 2026. The Browns are just playing out the string with Watson, while Gabriel is a trade candidate this spring — especially if Kirk Cousins doesn’t stick around with new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Sanders probably earned a chance to compete for the starting job during training camp, but it is highly unlikely the Browns won’t bring in another quarterback, or maybe even two, to challenge him for the top spot on the depth chart. A rookie is a possibility, particularly at pick No. 24 or No. 39 in the first or second rounds, respectively.
Only Fernando Mendoza profiles as QB prospect with higher value than that, according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid. An option in the late first-early second round range would be Ty Simpson of Alabama. However, Cleveland could also take the No. 39 pick and use it as the basis of a trade for Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
Jones, a former first-round selection of the New England Patriots in 2021, inked a two-year contract with the 49ers this year after washing out as a starter and spending the 2024 campaign as a backup in Jacksonville.
Brock Purdy struggled with injury throughout the season, and Jones stepped in to lead the Niners to a 5-3 record on 69.6 percent passing for 2,151 yards, 13 TDs and six INTs. Jones kept San Francisco’s season alive amidst a blitz of injuries, allowing the 49ers to make the playoffs and win a Wild Card matchup over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jones has one year remaining on his $8.4 million contract and head coach Kyle Shanahan has made public comments to set the Niners’ up in a position of strength heading into any trade negotiations this spring.
“You always listen to people with trade offers,” Shanahan told reporters last week. “We’re also not into getting rid of good players, so I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
GettyQuarterback Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones isn’t worth a second-round pick straight up, but the need for starting-caliber QBs around the league and the lack of QB1 options in free agency and the draft adds to San Francisco’s leverage in any trade talks.
The 49ers might be able to do better than Cleveland’s No. 70 overall pick in the third round if they shop Jones, or they might just rather have a quality backup behind Purdy than an early third-round pick in a division that owns both spots in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and Rams.
But Jones is liable to leave for a solid contract and a chance to start elsewhere in the 2027 free agency cycle, so the Niners would do well to get something of value for him now. A deal swapping Jones and the No. 127 overall pick in Round 4 to the Browns in exchange for the No. 39 pick in Round 2 is the kind of agreement that could create a happy medium and value on both sides.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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