Deion Sanders plans to meet with Browns coach Todd Monken to discuss quarterback Shedeur Sanders ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The meeting is postponed due to a commercial shoot.
Key points
Deion Sanders plans to meet with Todd Monken
Discussion focuses on quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Meeting postponed due to a commercial shoot
Deion emphasizes his coaching role in the meeting
Shedeur Sanders is preparing for the 2026 NFL season
Mentioned in this story
Cleveland BrownsDeion SandersTodd Monken
Shedeur Sanders
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Deion Sanders is planning to meet with Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken about quarterback Shedeur Sanders ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The elder Sanders insists that the meeting â which has been temporarily postponed due to a commercial shoot â will be in his capacity as the younger Sanders' high school and college coach, not as his father.
"I want to meet [Monken] because I think it's vital that as a coach â not the dad â I can tell him a few things about [Shedeur], how to get him going," Sanders explained in an episode of "The Barbershop" that was released May 14. "That wasn't asked of me a year ago."
Sanders went on to explain he didn't understand why he hadn't previously been consulted about his son, or other players from his Colorado program.
"Even a guy like Travis Hunter being drafted to Jacksonville and I've had him for the last three [years], don't you think you would want to talk to me to ask me what gets him going and what backs him off?" Sanders said. "You would want to know that."
That's why Sanders "can't wait to have that conversation" with Monken, who earned praise from the Hall of Fame cornerback ahead of his first season coaching the Browns.
"I love it, man, because he's a straight shooter," Sanders said of Monken. "He keeps it a buck."
Sanders' planned conversation with Monken comes with his son engaged in one of the league's most wide-open quarterback battles. Cleveland is expected to allow , Shedeur Sanders, and rookie battle for playing time during the 2026 NFL season.
Q&A
Why is Deion Sanders meeting with Todd Monken?
Deion Sanders is meeting with Todd Monken to provide insights on his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, to help him succeed in the NFL.
What is the relationship between Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders?
Deion Sanders is both the father and coach of Shedeur Sanders, having coached him in high school and college.
When is the meeting between Deion Sanders and Todd Monken scheduled?
The meeting has been temporarily postponed due to a commercial shoot, but a new date has not been announced.
What role does Deion Sanders claim in the meeting with Monken?
Deion Sanders claims he will meet with Monken in his capacity as a coach, not as Shedeur's father.
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The elder Sanders is confident the competition will bring out the best in his son, who posted a 3-4 record and completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven starts as a rookie.
The Colorado coach also lamented the way the younger Sanders was treated in the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft and during his rookie season, opining his son "went through hell" in the pre-draft process.
"When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back. That he's been through hell, but he's made it through hell," Sanders said. "A lot of people stop in the middle when they're walking through it. He kept going."
"He matured, not like he was a child, but matured spiritually while understanding you can't force this. If it ain't your time, it ain't your time. Just sit back, prepare yourself and get ready."
Specifically, the elder Sanders was bothered by the way his son was characterized ahead of the draft and during his rookie season, opining various reports and rumors about the 24-year-old quarterback were inaccurate.
"He's always been a leader. It was some ignorant things came out about him pre-draft and all that, and that was a lie," Sanders said. "Like, he would never go into a meeting with headphones on. He would never go into a meeting unprepared. Like, that's just not who he is. There's no way he could accomplish the things he accomplished without being prepared."
Shedeur Sanders â who was widely expected to be the among the first quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft â ended up tumbling all the way to the fifth round.
That left Deion Sanders in an unfamiliar position, which he acknowledged was painful.
"That was the first time in my life that I couldn't fix it," Sanders said. "I've always been able to fix it, with all my kids. But as that bull junk was going on and everything, I couldn't fix it. And he wanted me to fix it. And I didn't have the power to fix it. And that hurt because I felt like I wasn't there for my son."
Nonetheless, Sanders credited his son with being able to tune out the noise and do everything he could to prove himself during his rookie season.
"It bothered me, but it didn't bother him," Deion Sanders said. "He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing."
