Browns Dubbed Top Trade Partner for $34 Million Star QB in Need of New Start

The Cleveland Browns looked like they might have had a viable backup QB in Jameis Winston after he led them to victory against the Baltimore Ravens, but Week 9 brought those expectations crashing back to earth.

Winston threw 3 INTs in a 17-point home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, November 3, including the 100th pick of his career. Turnovers have always been the Achilles heel of the former No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 draft and they cost the Browns a chance to potentially fight their way back into relevancy in the AFC.

Cleveland is now 2-7 with Winston as QB1 and second-year signal caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the second option.

Meanwhile, regular starter Deshaun Watson is out for the remainder of the year with an Achilles rupture. Watson has been terrible across his three campaigns in Cleveland and carries a salary cap hit of $73 million in both 2025 and 2026 that the Browns can’t get out of.

The team is now left with two choices: it can either select a quarterback high in the 2025 draft or it can try and deal for a young player in need of a fresh start ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. And while doing so would be a race against the clock, there is potential for the Browns to pursue Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.

Anthony Richardson as Young as Most Top 2025 QB Prospects, Represents Shorter-Term Financial Commitment

Matt Downey of Chat Sports on YouTube named the Browns as among the ideal trade destinations

“[The Browns] might win enough games to take themselves out of that top-10 [draft pick] conversation with Winston,” Downey said last week. “But they’re also not gonna be a top-10 [in the NFL] with Winston. So adding a cheap, young, big-armed quarterback … I think that fits actually pretty well, and the contract cost makes it intriguing.”

If the Browns were to draft a quarterback next April, they would probably have to take a player like Shedeur Sanders of Colorado higher than he would normally go in most drafts.

Richardson is the same age as both Sanders and Miami QB Cam Ward, a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and would thus be a shorter commitment than one of those players if he didn’t ultimately work out.

Richardson is currently in the second season of a four-year, $33.9 million deal that included a club option for the 2027 campaign.

Browns Can Offer Anthony Richardson New Start After QB’s Polarizing Move Against Texans

Somewhat ironically, the Colts benched Richardson ahead of this week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in favor of 39-year-old veteran QB Joe Flacco.

It was Flacco who came into Cleveland late last season and helped lead the Browns to the playoffs after both Watson and Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Indy made the call after Richardson pulled himself out of the prior contest against the Houston Texans. He later said he did so because he was “tired.” The QB faced extensive backlash for that decision, both inside and outside of his locker room.

Richardson may need an entirely new start with a new head coach, new teammates and a new fan base after that debacle — and Cleveland can offer him all three.