The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of noticeable issues through the first five weeks of the 2026-27 NFL season, but their quarterback play isn’t at the top of the list.
The Dak Prescott-led Cowboys offense ranks near the top of the league in passing yards per game (269.6, 5th) and boasts an eye-opening 27.6-point scoring average thanks to their high-powered attack featuring CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
If Prescott is forced to miss time due to an unforeseen circumstance, though, Dallas could run into some problems with Sam Howell as QB No. 2. CBS Sports’ John Breech believes that the idea of the Cowboys trading for the Cleveland Browns’ 24-year-old Pro Bowl signal caller isn’t as far-fetched as some may think.
“If you're making a list of landing spots for Shedeur Sanders, you might as well include the Cowboys,” Breech wrote Wednesday.
“Deion Sanders spent five seasons in Dallas during his Hall of Fame career, and, given that fact alone, Jerry Jones might be intrigued by the idea of bringing in Shedeur as a possible backup to Dak Prescott.”
Despite losing the starting quarterback battle to Deshaun Watson before Week 1, the consensus was that Sanders would eventually see the field after Watson's inevitable struggles.
While Watson has been far from stellar this season, he’s exhibited flashes of brilliance and hasn’t made the same clumsy mistakes that haunted him the last time he suited up with the Browns. As a result, Cleveland boasts a respectable 3-2 record and has several winnable games ahead, making it unlikely Sanders will get the in-season reps he likely expected.
The former Colorado standout QB is far from a finished product in the big leagues because of his questionable pocket presence, hero-like approach, and slow processing speed in drop-back situations.
That said, Sanders’ upside is higher than many give him credit for, and if Dallas decides he's the best backup QB option before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, they could secure his services before another franchise pries him away from Cleveland.
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