Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders sent Todd Monken a curious birthday gift.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders sent Todd Monken a curious birthday gift.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders gave his new head coach, Todd Monken, an odd birthday gift as debate rages over who will start at quarterback for the team next season.
Monken celebrated his birthday on Feb. 5, shortly after being named the new head coach of the Browns. A package was waiting for him from Sanders.
“For my birthday, I got this package. I thought it was from my wife,” Monken recalled in an interview with CBS Sports. “I open it up, it’s like this porcelain horse head. And it’s from Shedeur. He sent me a gift on my birthday.
“And I asked him, I said ‘What was the meaning?’ and he said ‘Well I just really liked it.’ [He] said ‘I got myself one.’ I said ‘Well great.'”
The gift raised eyebrows in part because of the symbolism attached to a horse head in pop culture. In The Godfather, a severed horse head is infamously used as a chilling warning, making it one of the most iconic — and unsettling — images in film history.
While Sanders’ porcelain version was clearly meant as a harmless gesture, the association added an unintentionally odd layer to the birthday surprise, especially given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Cleveland’s quarterback competition.
Browns Coach Todd Monken Has ‘Elite’ Praise for Shedeur Sanders
Sanders started seven games as a rookie, passing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He has some work to do to prove he can be a viable starting option long-term in the NFL. However, Monken came away impressed with Sanders’ playmaking ability.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken said. “You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. But what rookie isn’t, I mean, what first year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So, I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and all of our players.”
For Sanders, a full season as Cleveland’s starter did more than provide reps. It reinforced the fifth-round pick’s belief that he belongs. After showing flashes, Sanders now says the challenge is turning those moments into something sustained.
“You can see it. It’s kind of like mastering how to get to that place all the time,” Sanders said on the Up & Adams show. “You have flashes. That’s the thing I appreciate about this year, is that I proved to myself. I’m able to dominate the league. But I’m able to take completions, I’m able to put all of that together, and definitely in games, we have flashes, but I know I’m capable of doing that. Now, to do it on a consistent basis, that’s what the goal is.”
Browns Will Have Open QB Competition
Monken has said some good things about Sanders. However, he’s stopped short of naming him the starter heading into next season. Cleveland is also expected to explore all of its external options through free agency, the NFL Draft, and even via trade.
“I’m excited about Shedeur, excited about Deshaun (Watson) and Dillon (Gabriel),” Monken said. “I’m excited about the prospects, not only in free agency but also in the draft and we’ll see where it all falls. Ultimately you’ve got to do whatever you need to do, especially at that position, to put yourself in position to score points.”
Monken didn’t shy away from calling it an “open competition” for the starting gig.
“I mean, I don’t why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said. “I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet. Whether internally or externally.”
Other quarterbacks on the Browns’ radar include Malik Willis and Alabama prospect Ty Simpson.