Browns Head Coach Todd Monken Reveals Truth Regarding Shedeur Sanders

Monken shares his truth in meeting with Sanders about his 2025 NFL Draft slide.

Oct 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on the field before the game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken was welcomed to Cleveland this morning, with his first stop being the team’s headquarters in Berea.

With the recent hiring of Todd Monken as the Browns’ new head coach, it was only a matter of time before he made his first appearance in Cleveland since his 2019 stint with the team. During his first stop at the Browns facility, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was present and made it a point to welcome his new head coach personally. 

The ordeal between Monken and Sanders was filmed and posted to social media, giving fans an inside look at how the conversation went down.

“You know we tried to draft your ass last year.”

New Browns coach Todd Monken meets his new QB1: pic.twitter.com/g6nl3IOVFm

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2026

Monken said to Sanders, “You know we tried to draft your ass last year. You remember that, right?”

There’s no doubt this clip put a smile on Browns fans’ faces. Seeing their coach excited to work with the young quarterback—and revealing he and others tried to draft Sanders last year—is a fantastic way to start their new relationship.

Monken would go on to say, “it’s all worked out…someday we’ll get a chance to talk about that.” 

Shedeur Sanders has a legitimate shot at the Browns' starting quarterback job in 2026. With Deshaun Watson's future uncertain, this is Sanders' team to lead—for now. Todd Monken will look to maximize the talent on his inherited roster, especially Cleveland’s young core heading into next season.

With the way Sanders finished his 2025 campaign, the key offseason questions revolve around how the front office will build the team around him. The Browns have obvious needs for multiple upgrades on the offensive line, plus a few additions to the wide receiver room to give Sanders more reliable options.

With all sights set toward next season, the comfortability with Sanders being the starting quarterback stems from his performance through the eight games he played in for Cleveland. His 2025 statistics include 1,400 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns to his ten interceptions, while posting a 56.6 completion percentage. 

While those statistics don’t necessarily jump off the page, the real diagnosis of Sanders can be seen in his play on the field. Sanders shows incredible promise as a young quarterback, with the ability to extend plays and make some incredible throws that most quarterbacks can only dream of doing. 

Todd Monken has the opportunity to work with Sanders and help him develop faster than what former head coach Kevin Stefanski was able to. Monken was able to take Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to a whole new level in his game, which earned Jackson an MVP award in 2023.

The first few days of Monken’s tenure with the Browns were met by skepticism as to how he’ll fare as Cleveland’s 19th full time head coach, but after Friday's interaction with Shedeur Sanders, fans may feel a bit more comfortable with Jimmy Haslam’s ultimate decision to hire Monken.