Sports Illustrated has floated the idea of the Cleveland Browns trading for a quarterback from the NFC before the trade deadline.
The Cleveland Browns are in a spot not many people thought they would be in. Seven games into the 2026 NFL season, Cleveland sits at 5-2 and is winning games few expected it to win. With the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, the Browns should be buyers if they decide to participate. That's a far cry from the general thought that they would be sellers at this point in the season.
Most of the chatter around a potential Browns move centers on adding defensive end help to bolster the pass rush.
However, Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr put together a trade idea that would shake things up at a different position. Orr likes the idea of the Browns trading for New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. Cleveland would only make that kind of move if it believes Rattler is a clear upgrade at quarterback over what they currently have behind Watson.
Rattler is in his third NFL season, playing on the four-year rookie contract he signed as a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He started eight games for the Saints last season and threw for 1,586 yards, eight touchdown passes, and five interceptions. Now, he's the backup to Tyler Shough in New Orleans.
Orr's reasoning for why the move gets made is pretty simple:
"I initially had Kirk Cousins here, but I like the idea of the Browns taking a little bit higher of an upside shot on the 26-year-old Rattler, who lost his job toward the end of last year to Tyler Shough. With the Saints facing a pivotal draft in 2026, Rattler could be a trade chip for second-year coach Kellen Moore, who may make a play at the quarterback position in the draft anyway, leaving Shough as a higher-upside QB2. I am one of NFL media's largest Rattler apologists, but it's impossible to argue that Rattler didn't see major growth from Year 1 (2024) to last season in almost every metric you would care about from a quarterback." - Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated
From the Saints' side, the logic holds up. New Orleans has its starter, and moving a backup for draft capital is a reasonable play for a team looking ahead.
Replacing Deshaun Watson with Rattler is unlikely at this point. Watson isn't playing at a terrific level, but he's playing well enough as a game manager to keep the Browns winning. His Week 8 performance against the Tennessee Titans was rather good. Watson completed 25-of-36 passes for 308 yards in that game.
Through seven games, Watson is averaging 211 passing yards per game with seven touchdown passes and three interceptions. He has also added 215 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Those numbers won't jump off the page, but they fit what Cleveland needs from the position right now.
That means the Browns would only make this move under the belief that Rattler would be a clear upgrade at QB2. Rattler over Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green? Maybe.
According to the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator , an ideal deal for this situation would have the Browns sending a 2028 fifth-round pick to New Orleans. In return, Cleveland would receive Rattler and a 2028 sixth-round pick. That's a low-cost price for a quarterback who still has time left on his rookie deal.
Orr labeled this as a dream trade he would like to see, and nothing more than that. Still, the idea gives Browns fans something to chew on as the deadline nears. The next couple of weeks will show whether the Browns stick with the pass rush as their focus or take a bigger swing at another position.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Major outlet floats QB trade Browns could shock the NFL with at the trade deadline
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