The Shedeur Sanders saga appears to have no end in Cleveland. The once-top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft was even a reference point in recent interviews for the Browns’ new head coach, as Todd Monken realized.
Sanders’ first year as a professional was more than turbulent. His slide to the fifth round of the draft left him in a very bad position in the race to be the Browns’ starting quarterback.
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Finally, the son of the legendary Deion Sanders received his long-awaited opportunity under center after Joe Flacco’s struggles and the injury to fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Now, everything seems to indicate that the Browns’ front office is prioritizing the development of the young signal-caller, as it was even one of the questions Monken had to answer during his interview.
Monken had to explain how he would develop Sanders
According to Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, Monken and the other Browns candidates had to answer a six-question written test as part of their interview.
One of the six questions, Breer’s sources said, was, “How would you develop Shedeur Sanders?” Similarly, Sanders, Gabriel, and the injured Deshaun Watson were mentioned in the oral interview.
However, Breer clarified that the written test also alluded to two other players, so Monken and the other candidates didn’t feel pressured to start Sanders.
Still, the insider noted:
“Candidates did get the idea that being able to get starter-level play out of Sanders was seen as a plus.”
Monken’s quiet coaching cycle
Aside from the rigorous testing Cleveland put its candidates through, Breer noted that Monken had a very quiet few weeks amidst the frenzy of the head coaching hiring cycle.
The insider pointed out that the Browns’ new head coach “didn’t get as much as an interview from any of the other nine teams with openings.”
He recalled that the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator had interviews in previous years, and even came close to becoming the New York Jets’ head coach, but “Cleveland was his only one in this cycle.”
This has raised serious doubts among analysts and fans about whether Monken will be the ideal candidate to get the best not only from Shedeur Sanders but from the team as a whole.
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