Prior to the NFL Draft, some mild buzz surfaced about the connections Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father, Colorado head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, had to the Browns coaching staff. For one, Sanders' offensive coordinator at Colorado was former Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, who was a former colleague of current head coach Kevin Stefanski.
More importantly, though, was his connection to newly promoted quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. See, back in 1994, Musgrave and Deion Sanders were teammates on the powerhouse San Francisco 49ers. In fact, they won the Super Bowl together at the conclusion of the 1994 season.
A few months before the draft, Deion Sanders talked about his favorite memory from the big game. When the 49ers held a commanding 49-26 lead with less than two and a half minutes left, Sanders convinced head coach George Seifert to let the team's third-string quarterback get into the game - that was none other than Bill Musgrave. Musgrave went on to complete his only pass attempt for a gain of six yards.
Fast forward 30 short years, and Musgrave is a 28-year veteran of the coaching profession. He has held titles including offensive coordinator, tight ends coach, and, of course, quarterbacks coach. Spending time with nine different NFL franchises, he is a grizzled veteran of the game.
Browns QB coach reflects on relationship with Sanders family
He joined the Browns in 2023 before being promoted to quarterbacks coach just before this season. It seemed like destiny that Shedeur Sanders was in this draft class. Of course, the draft didn't unfold as the Sanders camp and the rest of the NFL media predicted. Sanders plummeted through the first four rounds before ultimately being selected at pick #144.
Training camp opening up allowed Musgrave the first chance to speak on Shedeur Sanders since his selection in April, and he acknowledged his connection to the elder Sanders at his press conference.
"Yeah, it makes me feel old. Both of us I think are 57, 58 years old. That was 30 years ago that we were thick as thieves there with the 49ers that year. So, it’s been great to stay in touch over the years and watch all of his kids grow up and become young adults. So, it’s really fun to be associated with Shedeur (Sanders) at this level."Bill Musgrave
Reporters asked Musgrave questions about the added pressures Shedeur faces as something of a lightning rod personality in the football world. The coach dismissed such concerns as something that all NFL players deal with, including the other quarterbacks on the roster.
"I think I was blessed to learn a lot from my coaches, whether it be Mike Shanahan or Mike Holmgren or Gary Kubiak. There are external pressures for everybody and especially for Shedeur (Sanders), but there are for Dillon (Gabriel) and Kenny (Pickett) as well as Joe (Flacco). The focus has got to be on the work. The focus has got to be on the techniques, the five step drop, the seven step drop, being accurate with our throws. If we can focus on our trade, the external factors take a back seat, which is where they should remain.”"Bill Musgrave
It's encouraging to hear from the jump, coaches aren't providing excuses for any of the signal callers on the roster. Whether it be Sanders, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, or Deshaun Watson, each player has loads of pressure on them from a variety of different sources. It's a part of what makes the NFL so great - that the best rise to the top.
It remains to be seen if Musgrave's role will make any tangible difference in Shedeur's trajectory with the organization. It is Kevin Stefanski who calls the shots on offense, after all. It certainly can't hurt, however, that the quarterback coach has a pre-existing connection to one of his players' families.
Ultimately, the most important thing for the Cleveland Browns organization, and consequently, their fans, is that this team has a full and thorough evaluation of, ideally, all of their quarterbacks, but especially the youngsters. The Browns must know what they have in Shedeur Sanders and Gabriel before they can go into the future with any sort of concrete plan.