"We tried to draft your...": Browns coach Todd Monken opens tenure with first, viral moment with Shedeur Sanders over their draft history

A new head coach usually brings speeches, big statements, and carefully planned first impressions. Todd Monken went a different route. His first real moment as Cleveland Browns head coach came in a quiet office, face to face with Shedeur Sanders, and it instantly connected the past with what could be the future. For Browns fans, that interaction matters. Cleveland has spent years searching for stability at quarterback and direction at head coach. When those two pieces meet, even a short exchange can say a lot. Monken’s opening conversation with Sanders was not scripted or formal. It was honest, a little awkward, and rooted in shared history.

Todd Monken and Shedeur Sanders reconnect over draft twist

The Browns released behind the scenes video from Monken’s first day inside the building. As he made his rounds and met players, his sit down with Sanders stood out. As they shook hands inside his new office, Monken didn’t waste time bringing up something both men remembered well. “We tried to draft your a last year for God's sake.” Monken followed it up with a comment that showed he still thought about how things unfolded. “It all worked out. You remember that, right? Some day we'll get a chance to talk about that.”
Sanders didn’t shy away from it either, smiling as he reacted, “That's what I was about to tell you.”
The moment traced back to the 2025 NFL Draft. At the time, Monken was offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. Reports indicated Baltimore was planning to take Sanders in the fifth round. That never happened. Sanders and his family asked both the Ravens and the Eagles not to draft him. Later, Deion Sanders explained the reasoning. Baltimore already had Lamar Jackson, and the family didn’t want Shedeur entering a situation where his path to the field was blocked. Cleveland moved up three picks later, trading with Seattle to select Sanders at No. 144 overall.
The decision mattered quickly. Sanders made his NFL debut in Week 11 against Baltimore and finished the season as the Browns’ starter, making the final seven starts during a chaotic offensive year. Those games gave him experience and kept him firmly in Cleveland’s long term conversation.
Monken officially arrived after a 24 day coaching search that followed Kevin Stefanski’s firing. He flew in on the Haslams’ private jet and was greeted by managing partner JW Johnson III and general manager Andrew Berry. Later, standing in his new office, the moment sank in. “When I got off the plane, I'm like, it's everything you work for, everything you work for. Really cool. Really cool.
Now Monken has work to do. He still needs to complete his coaching staff, with only offensive line coach George Warhop confirmed, and decide what happens on defense with Jim Schwartz under contract but uncertain. With the NFL Combine on February 23 and free agency in March, the clock is already ticking. Still, that first conversation with Sanders offered something Browns fans haven’t had much of lately.

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