Monken welcomes meeting with Deion Sanders to discuss Shedeur

Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken said Wednesday he is eager to sit down with Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders to talk about quarterback Shedeur Sanders, telling reporters he has “a ton of respect” for both the Pro Football Hall of Famer and his son.

Deion Sanders, who coached his son through college before Shedeur was selected by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft out of CU, said last month on Garrett Bush’s podcast that he wanted to meet with Monken to share insight on what makes his son tick — not as a father, but as a former coach.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for coach Sanders, obviously as a player but also what he’s done as a coach,” Monken said. “He’s done a great job with Shedeur as a father. I’m open any time he wants to meet. He told me he was going to come but he had a commercial. If he just lets me know where the next commercial shoot is, I’ll be there.”

Browns HC Todd Monken is looking forward to the opportunity to meet Deion Sanders 👀

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— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) June 3, 2026

Coach Prime had been scheduled to visit Cleveland in May before a commercial shoot interfered with the trip. He told Bush he believes it is important for NFL coaches to seek out the people who developed players in college.

“I want to meet him because I think it’s vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about (Shedeur), how to get him going,” Deion Sanders said. “That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it.”

Monken said Shedeur has been doing what he can to stay as the Browns top signal-caller.

“All he has done is work since I’ve been here. All he’s done is compete,” Monken said of Shedeur. “He was here early in the offseason, bought me a horse head and tried to cheese up to me early, which I thought was cool.”

Sanders, 24, started seven games as a rookie last season, going 3-4 while throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His 56.6 completion percentage ranked last in the NFL among qualified passers, and his 68.1 passer rating ranked 49th.

Despite those numbers, Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement in January, becoming the first Browns quarterback to earn the honor since Derek Anderson in 2008. The selection came after a wave of injuries and Super Bowl commitments thinned the AFC quarterback pool.

Sanders is competing with Deshaun Watson for the starting job in 2026. Monken said after Wednesday’s organized team activity that he believes the Browns have “two starting-level quarterbacks.”

“I think both quarterbacks have played well enough,” Monken said. “Every day, I kind of lean one way or the other.”

The Browns parted with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett during last season and fired coach Kevin Stefanski before hiring Monken. General manager Andrew Berry has said he could not commit to whether the 2026 starter would come from inside or outside the organization.

At Colorado, Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing 74% of his passes and setting school records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating.

Deion Sanders, who has been outspoken about pre-draft criticism of his son, said he believes Monken will be straightforward with Shedeur.

“I love it, man, because he’s a straight shooter,” Coach Prime said. “All these little side conversations that was had before him, he ain’t with that.”

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