What Todd Monken, other coaching candidates reportedly were asked about Browns QB Shedeur Sanders

Before the Cleveland Browns chose former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their new head coach, reports revealed that the Browns had given head-coaching candidates homework assignments related to the hiring process. 

For a piece published on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared what Monken and other candidates were left thinking about Cleveland rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders following their interactions with the Browns throughout January.

Will Todd Monken be tasked with developing Shedeur Sanders?

"One of the six questions on the test, I’m told, was, 'How would you develop Shedeur Sanders?' (He was one of three players specifically mentioned in that question)," Breer wrote. "After poking around a bit, I can say the candidates didn’t take that as a definitive sign that the new Browns coach would have to start Sanders, nor did those guys get that impression in the interviews. Moreover, the question was designed to elicit the candidates' views on the head coach’s role in developing players, specifically quarterbacks."

A 2025 fifth-round draft pick, Sanders went from receiving no first-team practice reps through the first couple of months of the campaign to making his first regular-season start in Week 12. According to Pro Football Reference, Sanders ended Week 18 ranked last in the league among qualified players with a 56.6 percent completion percentage, 41st with a 68.1 passer rating and 40th with an 18.9 adjusted QBR.

Despite such lackluster numbers, the 23-year-old who went 3-4 as a starter was named a Pro Bowl replacement.

Did Todd Monken win the Browns' job because of what he said about Shedeur Sanders?

"It’s at least notable that Sanders was the name they asked a question about," Breer continued. "In the interviews, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson were all part of the conversation. But candidates did get the idea that being able to get starter-level play out of Sanders was seen as a plus."

Watson is expected to remain on the Browns' roster as he completes his recovery from the Achilles injuries that kept him out of action for the entire 2025 season. It sounds like he may have to compete with Sanders for Cleveland's QB1 job this coming summer unless Monken determines that he simply wants to enter September with Sanders atop the depth chart.