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Browns expected to pursue trade talks for QB to replace Dillon Gabriel.
The Cleveland Browns are expected to have a new quarterback in 2026, and many expect it to be a rookie in the draft.
However, NFL insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic expects the Browns to pursue a veteran quarterback through a trade. The Browns insider believes the team will pursue a trade for one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Mac Jones.
“The 49ers will probably trade Jones in February or March. And the Browns will be linked to that potential deal for that many reasons. Mostly that Jones’ current contract calls for a 2026 base salary of just $1.4 million,” Jackson wrote. …
“The potential free agent (and trade) class is uninspiring, to say the least. I can’t see the Browns signing up to be Kyler Murray’s next team. So either the Browns chase the dream with Anthony Richardson, try again with Kenny Pickett (or Joe Flacco, or Winston), or run the wishbone with Trey Lance or Justin Fields. All of a sudden, Mac Jones seems like Josh Allen, doesn’t he?”
Jones was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots in 2021 and was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. However, he struggled in his next two years and was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After one season there, he signed with the 49ers this offseason and has been having a ton of success.
San Francisco could likely get a mid-round pick back for Jones, who has proven he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. For the Browns, Jones could also be a stopgap for a rookie to develop and learn the system for a year or two.
Cleveland has stuck with Gabriel at quarterback, despite his struggles this season.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been adamant that Gabriel is the answer at quarterback and has been impressed with his play. But he knows the rookie, along with the entire team, has to be better.
“Well, I think with young quarterbacks, it’s understanding that there’s going to be ups and downs,” Stefanski said on Monday. “You know, can Dillon play better? Yes, he can. Can we play better around him? Yes, we can. Can we coach him better? Yes, we can. So, I understand the question. But I just trust that our young players at every position, and certainly at the quarterback position, are guys that are going to work their tails off to get better every single day.”
Gabriel is set to start his sixth straight game on Sunday when the Browns host the Baltimore Ravens.
Although Jones has had a big impact on the 49ers’ season, he is likely set to return to a backup role for the rest of the year.
Brock Purdy looks to be healthy and should return this week, which will push Jones to the backup role.
“They told me he is healthy. So I’ll see today with my own eyes when he practices. And I’m sure he’ll look that way,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “As long as he does, then he is good to go.”
With the 49ers giving Purdy a lucrative long-term extension, he is the clear future at quarterback, which is why Jones could be expendable.
As head coach of the Denver Broncos, Vance Joseph was 0-4 against Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. Since Joseph has returned as Broncos defensive coordinator, he’s 3-3 vs. the Chiefs.
The Broncos’ first matchup of the season vs. the Chiefs is coming this Sunday. This time around, the Broncos lead the AFC West at 8-2, while the Chiefs are in third place, at 5-4.
Coming off a bye, Reid has only ever lost four games as a head coach. The Broncos are going to get Kansas City’s best shot.
For Joseph, emerging with a fourth win over Reid’s squad starts with getting after Patrick Mahomes and limiting the Chiefs’ ninth-ranked scoring offense. Suffice it to say, Joseph admires Mahomes’ game, but that doesn’t mean he’s isn’t hankering to send the Chiefs home at .500.
“He’s been the best for a long time. He’s a winner. The plays he can make off-schedule. That makes it tough,” Joseph said. “Going against Patrick, obviously, how you rush him is important, how you cover is important, but the second part is just keep chasing him and keep plastering the back end because those plays they’ve made over the years, him and [Chiefs TE Travis] Kelce especially, have been hard of defenses.”
Adding to Joseph’s challenge this week is the expected continued absence of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and the fact that Kansas City has a few newer receivers the Broncos have yet to face. And they’re
“It’s a true challenge, and they have these new receivers. It’s a track team,” Joseph said. “You have 4.26 [40-yard dash times], 4.30, so that makes it challenging.”
Over the years, Joseph has learned Reid’s tendencies and vice versa, but the Chiefs have had two full weeks to prepare for the Broncos. Reid has two games’ worth of tape to project what Joseph’s coverage units look like without Surtain locking down one side of the field.
Still, Joseph doesn’t base everything he does as defensive coordinator on his past experiences vs. Reid. Teams are always evolving, and Reid has been one of the consistent coaches always on that cutting edge.
“I take each game by the month at a time. I’m looking at what I’ve done over the last month, also, and he has to do that also. Teams do change,” Joseph said. “Pat hadn’t played in two weeks, so what are we doing without Pat? So that’s Andy’s concern also. It goes both ways. That’s why I don’t go back too much on certain opponents, obviously, because it matters what happened in the last month.”
Joseph strives to self-scout and stay hyper-aware of any tendencies he’s putting on tape, especially going against a savvy and perceptive opponent like Reid. Fortunately, the Broncos had three extra days this week — a mini-bye — to prepare for the Chiefs.
“I’m checking my numbers all the time as far as what I’m doing on certain downs and distances versus what, and versus what formation and personnels, so I’m keeping Andy kind of guessing also,” Joseph said.
The Broncos rank first in the NFL in sacks, red-zone efficiency, and third-down defense, and top-10 in total yards, rushing, and passing. Plus, Denver is only allowing 17.3 points per game, which ranks third.
The one fly in the ointment of Joseph’s ongoing defensive masterpiece this season is the relative lack of takeaways. The Broncos only have eight takeaways this season, which is the only key metric that ranks in the bottom-10 of the league.
Now, the Broncos’ takeaway fortunes have begun to change in recent weeks, but it’s not as if the floodgates have opened. If the Broncos are going to vanquish the Chiefs, Joseph’s defense will have to limit Mahomes and company, which is hard enough, and if they can take the ball away and give Bo Nix and Sean Payton an extra possession or two, that would be the cherry on top of a fourth straight home win over Kansas City.
“There’s a reason this team has won for a long period of time, and it’s talent, it’s coaching, it’s a program, it’s a GM, it’s ownership,” Payton said on Wednesday. “That’s where we’re aspiring to go.”
If the Broncos can defeat the Chiefs, it would make for their eight straight win of the season, giving them a 9-2 record entering their Week 12 bye. This game is more than a measuring stick; the Broncos have a chance to truly seize control of the AFC West, and signal a changing of the guard.