It seems obvious, but apparently it has to be stated. There are no reasons why the Minnesota Vikings should have any interest in trading for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Despite this, The Sporting News' Mike Moraitis still felt compelled to recently suggest that the Vikings should be one of six teams that should attempt to make a trade with the Browns to acquire Sanders.
Moraitis offered an explanation that isn't very convincing.
"With the addition of Kyler Murray this offseason, J.J. McCarthy's days as the team's starter might be numbered.
If he loses out to Murray in an offseason competition, which we think he will, the Vikings might consider trading the Michigan product.
If so, the Vikings will need another backup quarterback, unless they trust Max Brosmer, which they shouldn't.
A trade for Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is something the Minnesota Vikings should avoid
The talk surrounding Sanders even being on the trade block stemmed from a report released on Wednesday by Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot that Deshaun Watson is currently the favorite to open the 2026 season as the Browns' starting quarterback.
Why that means that Cleveland could be looking to move on from Sanders this offseason is a whole other question we don't have time to answer.
Instead, we're just here to make sure that everyone is on the same page about why it would not be a good idea for Minnesota to trade for the second-year signal-caller.
Whether people like to admit it or not, Sanders brings an extra amount of attention wherever he goes. Some of that attention is sought out by himself, and some of it is due to him being the son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.
Moraitis' suggestion is to bring in Sanders as a backup with Minnesota next season if J.J. McCarthy gets traded after losing a QB1 battle with Kyler Murray.
Absolutely not.
Sanders' current talent level is not high enough for a team to be okay with dealing with a media circus for a quarterback who isn't even going to be their starter.
McCarthy had a higher PFF offensive grade than Sanders last year (one of the few). Why in the world would the Vikings trade for a worse quarterback if they move on from McCarthy?
Plus, it doesn't sound like McCarthy or Minnesota is interested in moving on from one another at this point in time. Even if Murray wins the starting job, as many expect, some believe a healthy year on the sidelines for McCarthy could do wonders for his development.
If the Vikings are looking to increase their engagement numbers, good or bad, across social media, then go right ahead and trade for Sanders.
But from a pure on-and-off-the-field football approach, which we're assuming is how Minnesota operates when making most of its decisions, making a deal for the young Cleveland quarterback isn't even something the Vikings should do when playing the latest version of "Madden."
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