Todd Monken embraced Shedeur Sanders with a hug on his first day contained in the Browns’ follow facility as Cleveland’s head coach, however then tugged on the younger quarterback’s arm to offer him some grief.
“We tried to draft your ass final yr, for God’s sake,” Monken joked as Sanders laughed. “All of it labored out.”
As offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, Monken was part of the group that tried to pick Sanders as he dropped to the fifth spherical of the 2025 NFL draft, however Sanders instructed the crew to not draft him as he didn’t need to again up a bona fide starter in Lamar Jackson. That historical past prompted questions as to Sanders’ standing as Cleveland’s QB1 after Monken was named the Browns coach on Jan. 28.
At his introductory information convention final week, Monken sidestepped the chance to anoint Sanders because the Browns’ starter, saying it is “nonetheless to be decided.”
all of it labored out@Bullseye_Event | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/5UC9kjyZnv
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 30, 2026
At the same time as common supervisor Andrew Berry had stated that Cleveland would discover its quarterback choices this offseason, a part of Monken’s enchantment was his means to work with the crew’s present group of quarterbacks — Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel — and meld his scheme to their differing talent units.
With a training profession that spans three a long time, Monken is well-versed in a bevy of schemes, from the Air Raid system to the facility run sport. Monken’s philosophical beliefs on quarterbacks, particularly the worth of a passer with mobility, may inform not solely how the Browns strategy concentrating on a quarterback however how the incumbent passers match right into a Monken-led offense.
“One of many issues that our employees, together with myself, have been capable of do is benefit from what a participant can do and never what they cannot do,” Monken stated. “Each participant within the NFL is elite, and so they all have a trait, not less than one trait that permits them to, I do not need to say this — permits them to perform, play at a excessive degree.
“You simply acquired to search out what that’s and never attempt to put a sq. peg in a spherical gap, benefiting from what they do. And I feel that is what we have been capable of do constantly.”
Throughout a presentation in 2023 on the Harbaugh Teaching Academy, Monken spoke on elements that contribute to profitable. Monken referred to as one: “QB off-schedule explosives.”
“Statues are out. Athletes are in,” Monken stated.
Later, when speaking in regards to the keys to an explosive offense, Monken expounded on the thought of getting a quarterback who can create off-schedule performs.
“There is a wonderful line … you continue to have to have the ability to throw it,” he stated. “If you wish to be explosive, guys that may use their toes and get you out of bother.”
In Cleveland, Monken inherits a quarterback room that does not immediately evaluate to the dual-threat capabilities of the QB the Ravens had in Jackson, however one which presents various ranges of athleticism.
Sanders, who began the ultimate seven video games of the 2025 season and had a 3-4 document, recorded the fifth-lowest QBR (18.9) amongst 696 quarterbacks with not less than 200 makes an attempt within the QBR period (since 2006). Although Berry characterised him after the draft as a extra of a “retro” passer, a few of Sanders’ greatest moments got here when extending performs, akin to his 52-yard completion to huge receiver Isaiah Bond whereas evading a blitz in his first begin towards the Las Vegas Raiders (a 24-10 win in Week 12).
Sanders additionally scrambled for 137 yards in his seven begins, which was tied with Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert for fifth amongst 30 qualifying quarterbacks, in line with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats. His 253 scramble passing yards tied for ninth throughout that timeframe.
Monken’s presentation additionally touched on the worth of turnovers — forcing and limiting them — in addition to lost-yardage performs. Each are areas by which Sanders should enhance in his second season. He threw probably the most interceptions within the NFL (10) throughout his seven begins. And although the Browns struggled in safety, Sanders held onto the ball too lengthy at instances. Throughout his seven begins, he was sacked thrice when the time from snap to strain/sack was not less than 4 seconds; that was tied for the second-most such sacks in that interval.
“We noticed loads of progress with Shedeur this yr,” Berry stated in January. “I feel that is each mentally and bodily taking part in the place. He is nonetheless very a lot a piece in progress, like many rookie quarterbacks are. However I feel we noticed some actually good issues by way of his playmaking, his accuracy, his means to increase together with his toes.
“And I feel I would additionally give him credit score, in addition to our offensive employees, for bringing him alongside by way of his pocket administration, his situational consciousness and issues of that nature.”
Gabriel, the No. 94 choose within the 2025 draft, began six video games earlier than sustaining a concussion in Week 11 that gave Sanders a chance to begin. He confronted related struggles with one win as a starter and the second-lowest QBR (31.5) of the 38 quarterbacks who made not less than six begins. Gabriel additionally did not present as a lot manufacturing as Sanders as a runner; his 89 scramble yards ranked twelfth out of 32 qualifying passers throughout his six begins and his 85 scramble passing yards ranked thirteenth.
The wild card within the quarterback room, although, is Watson. He didn’t play in 2025 as he rehabbed a proper Achilles tear he sustained in October 2024. Watson underwent a second surgical procedure in January 2025 after retearing his Achilles and spent the season on the bodily unable to carry out record. Watson practiced with the crew throughout a three-week stretch by which the Browns opened his follow window however did so with the intent of getting him time on the sphere earlier than the season ended and the offseason exercise program started within the spring.
Watson, 30, has failed to achieve the Professional Bowl kind he confirmed throughout his time with the Houston Texans. He has performed in solely 19 video games because the Browns traded three first-round picks and gave him a completely assured $230 million in March 2022. Since becoming a member of Cleveland, his 33.1 Whole QBR would rank final within the league amongst qualifying passers.
Regardless of the on-field struggles and lack of availability, Berry stated he anticipated Watson being on the roster in 2026. The Browns nonetheless owe Watson $46 million in wage subsequent season.
At his peak, Watson was one of many league’s prime dual-threat quarterbacks, one able to extending performs but additionally offering a element as a designed runner. Watson, although, is years faraway from that degree of play, and it stays to be seen how the affect of two Achilles tears and one other season with out taking part in has affected his bodily means.
NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr Myles Garrett carried out an interview final week on Micah Parsons’ podcast forward of Tremendous Bowl LX and stated Sanders is whom the Browns are “taking a look at because the man,” however he stated Sanders must earn the function.
“We will give him a shot to show that he is the man,” Garrett stated. “We’re not going to offer anybody that title till they go on the market and earn it. He was the final individual to be on the sphere, and he confirmed some flashes. So, we will give him a chance to point out what he can actually do, uncork the ball. … I really feel like everybody on the roster goes to get a shot. Now, [Sanders] was the final man on the sphere, so he will clearly get first [opportunity]. And Deshaun, whoever’s on the roster, they’ll get an actual look.”
