New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken admitted that the Baltimore Ravens nearly drafted quarterback Shedeur Sanders last year.
One of the biggest names in sports last year was rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
The son of former NFL star Deion Sanders, Shedeur remained a divisive figure in the football world. After being boasted as a top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur wasn't selected by the Browns until the fifth round with the 144th overall pick.
This seemingly caught everyone off guard, especially since it seems he could have gone sooner.
In a video uploaded to social media by the Browns, Sanders met new head coach and former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who revealed that Baltimore nearly drafted him last year instead of Cleveland.
“You know we tried to draft your ass last year," Monken said while greeting Sanders. "You remember that, right?"
After the two laughed, Monken said, “It’s all worked out… Someday we’ll get a chance to talk about that.”
Since the Ravens had two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback, it would have been unlikely that Sanders would see any play time. That being said, it's not like he saw that much time on the field in Cleveland.
Sanders started the season on a roster that had four other quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, and an injured Deshaun Watson. Needless to say, there was plenty of competition.
Sanders finally got to play when Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 11 against the Ravens. He completed four of 16 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
That being said, Sanders would continue to improve throughout the season, even throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14.
In his debut season, Sanders completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across eight games, seven of which he started. He finished the year with the worst passer rating in the league.
Despite this, Sanders was surprisingly named to the 2026 Pro Bowl after multiple AFC quarterbacks suffered injuries or turned down the invitation. He is the first Browns quarterback to be named to a Pro Bowl since Derek Anderson in 2008.
This is not the first time Sanders has been met with a controversial honor. In April 2025, the University of Colorado Boulder announced that they would be retiring Sanders' number less than a year after his final season.
There's no telling how things would have gone for Sanders if he had been drafted to the Ravens instead of the Browns. There is one thing we do know: he wouldn't have made it to the Pro Bowl.