After a long coaching search with many twists and turns, the Cleveland Browns have finally hired Todd Monken as their next head coach.
The hire didn’t go over well with fans, but like everything in sports, the quality of the hire will ultimately be decided by what happens on the field. For the offensive-minded Monken, his tenure will be defined by how he develops quarterbacks and how the offense improves.
One of the first quarterbacks Monken will work with is Shedeur Sanders. The rookie quarterback seems excited about the hire, taking to Instagram to send a message to his new head coach.
Sharing the Browns’ post of the announcement, Sanders kept it simple, saying: “Time for work” with emojis of fire and a watch.
Shedeur Sanders makes intentions clear after Browns’ Todd Monken hire
Sanders, who recently made the Pro Bowl as a replacement, has somewhat of an uncertain future in Cleveland, but he appears to be the leading candidate to be the team’s QB1 in 2026. After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, and starting training camp as the fourth-string quarterback, Sanders ultimately started the final seven games for the Browns this past season.
The rookie completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while adding 169 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground. The Browns were also 3-4 in his seven starts.
While Sanders had some rough rookie moments, he also flashed the talent that showed he could be the long-term answer at quarterback. At times, he gave the Browns offense life that it hadn’t had in a while, even with an underwhelming supporting cast.
Now, with seven starts under his belt, Sanders will go into Year 2 prepared to work alongside Monken.
While Monken isn’t the exciting candidate many Browns fans had in mind, he led successful offenses during his time with the Baltimore Ravens and the Georgia Bulldogs. He’ll now try to do the same thing in Cleveland.
If Monken can help Sanders develop into a star on the field, the Browns could be contenders again in short order.