Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders greets new head coach Todd Monken for his first day on the job
Shedeur Sanders is a Cleveland Brown, but in an alternate reality, he may not have been.
A report from ESPN during the 2025 season revealed that the Baltimore Ravens had serious interest in drafting Sanders and were planning to select him, but Sanders nixed it, wanting to go to a team where he could play sooner rather than sit behind two-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
New Browns head coach Todd Monken effectively confirmed that bombshell of a story on his first day on the job.
Cleveland's social media team is documenting Monken's arrival to town and the team facility on Friday. One clip features Sanders coming to greet his new head coach for the first time, with Monken mentioning Baltimore's interest in drafting him last April when he was serving as the team's offensive coordinator.
"You know we tried to draft your a** last year for God's sake," Monken says with a laugh as he daps up his new QB, adding, "it's all worked out."
One of the biggest tasks on Monken's plate upon arriving in Cleveland is going to be sorting out the quarterback room. Right now, veteran Deshaun Watson is expected to be part of the equation given his albatross of a contract. Sanders and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel are also under contract with the franchise right now.
While it's unclear how Monken wants to handle the current group and if he plans on adding to it, his comments to Sanders certainly seem to suggest that Monken wants to work with Sanders.
In his first season, Sanders made eight appearances, including starting the final seven games of the 2025 campaign. He completed 120-of-212 passes (56.6%) for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and tossed 10 interceptions during that span. This week, Sanders was just named the NFL's Pro Bowl games as an alternate, with New England Patritos QB Drake Maye playing in the Super Bowl.
There were plenty of good moments for Sanders, but also the typical rookie growing pains. Monken will be responsible for helping Sanders hone his craft in the hopes of potentially stabilizing the QB position for years to come.
The months ahead will be telling in how Monken shapes the room and where Sanders fits into his plans.
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