Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken sparked speculation about whether he decided who would start at quarterback in the 2026 NFL season. The veteran coach joined the team from the Baltimore Ravens, inheriting a complex situation from Kevin Stefanski.
The Browns currently have three quarterbacks on the roster: Veteran Deshaun Watson and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson. The coach shared a picture on his X account with Sanders, putting his arm around the former Colorado star and smiling.
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The picture drew a lot of attention, racking up over 300K views in less than an hour. It also sparked speculation about the meaning behind it.
Seeing the caption of three horse heads emojis and the one in the middle of the player and the coach, it was Monken messing with Shedeur Sanders’ birthday gift. Monken turned 60, and the quarterback went into “The Godfather” mode to celebrate him.
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Todd Monken was in disbelief over Shedeur Sanders’ unusual birthday gift
Feb 3, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken, second left, poses with managing and principal partner Jimmy Haslam, left, managing partner JW Johnson, second right and managing partner Whitney Haslam Johnson during an introductory press conference at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
On Wednesday, Todd Monken revealed that Sanders found a unique way to celebrate his 60th birthday. He gifted Monken a porcelain horse head.
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“I asked him, ‘What was the meaning?’” Monken said. “And he just said, ‘Well, I really liked it. I got myself one.’ Well, great.”
While it was a unusual selection, Monken seemingly liked it. The Browns have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, especially regarding the quarterback position, but it seems that Monken and Sanders are hitting it off.
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