Ex-Notre Dame Quarterback Set to Coach Shedeur Sanders

Tommy Rees has had success with lesser quarterbacks before

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Shedeur Sanders on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Far and away the biggest story of the 2025 NFL draft was Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders sliding from being said to be a surefire first rounder to the 144th overall selection in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns. For the first time, Sanders will be coached by someone other than his famed father, Deion Sanders.

The Browns head coach is Kevin Stefanski, a former offensive coordinator in his own right, but Cleveland's current offensive coordinator is none other than Tommy Rees. Yup, the former Notre Dame signal caller and play caller gets his first crack as an NFL OC by getting dealt a pair of rookie quarterbacks in Sanders and Dillion Gabriel of Oregon, who the Browns also drafted.

This will be fascinating to watch. Will Sanders act humbled after his epic draft slide that wound up putting him in a Cleveland Browns uniform?

And how will Rees, a former quarterback and play caller, deal with all of the baggage that comes with drafting Sanders, especially when you pair him with another rookie quarterback? Will there be a Pyne-type phone call at some point and how might that play out?

As has been the case for Tommy Rees since leaving Notre Dame, the 100-yard view shows a young, rising assistant coach about to take on a task few if any situations can prepare one for.

feed