BEREA, Ohio — The biggest lesson the Cleveland Browns learned from last season had nothing to do with on-field performance and everything to do with off-field performance.The Browns never properly bent the knee to Deion Sanders and his legion of fans last year after selecting Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft. They have spent the past seven months trying to rectify that oversight.Shortly after Todd Monken was introduced as head coach in January, one of the first orders of business was rushing out a social media clip of Monken welcoming Shedeur into his office and telling him how much he likes him. That was no coincidence after so many silly conspiracy theories about “sabotage” emerged last season.The Browns took the next necessary step Thursday when they welcomed Deion to practice with wide smiles and outstretched arms.
the Sanders duo🤩 pic.twitter.com/psLbgf9hLR
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 30, 2026“That was really cool. That was Deion Sanders, are you kidding me?” Monken said Thursday after meeting with Coach Prime. “Forget that it’s Shedeur’s dad. First of all, he did an unbelievable job with Shedeur — great kid, obviously an elite football player, baseball player. And then as a coach, I mean, everything he’s achieved, that was awesome.”Shedeur told his father to stay away from camp last year because he wanted to be in a better situation when Dad showed up. So Monken and general manager Andrew Berry spent time with Deion before the Browns taking the field Thursday in part because Deion made it clear he wanted to meet with them, so he could tell them more about Shedeur.“I want to meet (Monken) because I think it’s vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about (Shedeur), how to get him going,” Sanders said during his appearance earlier this year on “The Barbershop” podcast with Garrett Bush. “That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it.”Sanders clearly is an excellent father and has done a good job raising all of his sons. He’s also used to getting what he wants. It’s hard to separate father from college coach in this instance, and there’s an argument to be made that neither belongs in an NFL facility advising the head coach.I don’t recall Oregon’s Dan Lanning visiting Cleveland to talk about Dillon Gabriel or Sam Pittman or Bobby Petrino flying in to talk to Monken about Taylen Green. Nevertheless, there are unique rules of engagement when it comes to the Sanders family. The Browns learned that the hard way last season.Deion Sanders finally had his moment with the head coach and general manager. Hopefully, the Browns have done enough to convince the Sanders’ rabid, loyal fan base and vocal Sanders family supporters like Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and any other former players who spoke out against Shedeur Sanders’ “mistreatment” last year that all is starting anew. Monken appears to have dodged the sabotage allegations for now, although that could change once he names a starter.The reality is Sanders had a lot to learn about playing quarterback in the NFL last year and is now getting the opportunity to show all that he worked on. There are more weapons on this offense compared to last year. The offensive line has new faces, although the level of improvement is still to be determined.There are no more excuses. It’s on Sanders to perform. Given what else the Browns have at quarterback, he will eventually get his chance.Is Shedeur Sanders actually the Browns' future?Nick Baumgardner and Zac JacksonI’m on record that if forced to choose between Sanders and Deshaun Watson, I’ll take Sanders every time. Monken and the Browns may not see it that way. Through the first couple of days of training camp, I’m not sure Watson is still capable of playing quarterback in the NFL, but the Browns are going to give him every opportunity to win this job out of camp. If Watson manages to beat out Sanders, it will tell you without telling you what the Browns think of Sanders’ NFL future.It is widely presumed the Browns will be back hunting quarterbacks in the 2027 draft, although Shedeur will eventually get the runway to change that. This is Cleveland, where multiple quarterbacks have started games in 24 of 27 seasons since 1999. At least three quarterbacks have started games in four of the last five years.Deion quietly watched practice Thursday from high atop the bleachers. With no fans in attendance, Sanders could roam freely without being bothered. He met with Shedeur briefly afterward while cameras buzzed around them.During their brief time together, Monken said he mostly talked NIL, Jackson State and Colorado with Deion. Monken, of course, served as offensive coordinator at Georgia and understands the state of the college game.“We really didn’t get into almost any football,” Monken said.In that case, this may not have been the last of Deion in Cleveland.
