Cleveland Browns Quarterback Coach's Surprising Oregon, Colorado Connections

Amidst the ongoing Cleveland Browns quarterback battle, there's an almost kismet connection between rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and quarterback coach Bill Musgrave, who has deep roots with the Oregon Ducks and Colorado Buffaloes.

Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave waits in the tunnel at Autzen Stadium before the game against BYU Sept. 29, 1990. Eug 091322 1990 Uo Vs Byu 02 | Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Amongst all the chatter about the Cleveland Browns quarterback battle, from the addition of Tyler Huntley, to the injuries throughout the start of the preseason, to the internet firestorm over rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, there's a unique thread connecting the Browns to the Oregon Ducks and the Colorado Buffaloes: the quarterback coach Bill Musgrave.

Musgrave, who was promoted to quarterback coach from a senior offensive assistant job in 2025, played for the Ducks at quarterback from 1987 to 1990.

Musgrave started each year he played for the Ducks, becoming a three year captain and senior year MVP. Musgrave was one of two quarterbacks in the Pac-10 Conference at the time to pass for over 8,000 yards and 60 touchdowns during his college career.

Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, left, works with quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Musgrave was inducted into the Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. His records for passing yards and total offense was only broken by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

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Musgrave's connection to the Colorado Buffaloes seeps into his time before and after the Ducks. Growing up in Colorado, Musgrave was in close proximity to the Buffaloes program.

After being drafted in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Musgrave made his way to the San Francisco 49rs, where he became friends with Colorado coach, and Shedeur Sanders father, Deion Sanders.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) works with quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave during NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“My favorite Super Bowl memory is a guy named Billy Musgrave, who was our scout-team quarterback, a great player in his own right,” Deion said about the former Duck.

With how cyclical the football industry is, it also shouldn't come as a surprise that Musgrave is connected to Pat Shurmur, the current Colorado offensive coordinator. Musgrave and Shurmur passed by each other when Musgrave worked for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008.

When thinking of the current battle in Cleveland involving a former Duck and a former Buffalo, it's almost kismet that the man coaching both Gabriel and Sanders has deep ties to their prior programs.

Sep 19, 1987; Columbus, OH, USA,FILE PHOTO; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bill Musgrave (14) in action against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes beat the Ducks 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

"They've done a nice job," Musgrave said about both Gabriel and Sanders during the offseason. "Both guys, I think, are becoming more comfortable every day in our language and the way that they huddle. There's not a lot of huddles in college and high school, which is good. It's not the college's responsibility to get these guys ready for the NFL. They're responsible for lighting up the scoreboard and winning games."

"I think the team is, the entire building, we're excited," Musgrave said in an interview with ESPN Cleveland. "We've got good men on the team and we're looking to get back to the right side of the ledger this year. We're excited. We've got a bunch of team-oriented people, not only at the quarterback position but across the board. It's a really terrific process to which to be a part."