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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is bonding with new head coach Todd Monken.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is already building a strong bond with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders — and a bizarre birthday gift is at the center of a story that’s taken over social media.
Monken, who was hired as Cleveland’s new head coach in late January, celebrated his 60th birthday on Feb. 5. Shortly after, he couldn’t believe what showed up on his doorstep.
“I got this package and I thought it was from my wife,” Monken told CBS Sports at the NFL Combine. “I open it up, it’s like this porcelain horse head. And it’s from Shedeur.”
Sanders — who had no deep symbolic meaning behind the gift — kept it simple when Monken asked why.
“And I asked him, I said, ‘What was the meaning?’” Monken said. “And he said, ‘Well, I just really liked it.’ [He] said ‘I got myself one.’”
Monken Posts Viral Photo With Sanders and the Horse Head
On Tuesday, Monken posted a photo to his rarely-used social media account showing the two standing side by side with the porcelain horse head art visible in the background. The post exploded, racking up over one million views and hundreds of comments.
“Nice photo. Look forward to the one where you two are celebrating winning the division title!” one fan wrote.
“My head coach active on Twitter? Stefanski would never,” another quipped.
A third added: “Love the love. This is so refreshing — give the kid a shot with true support. So happy to witness this season! Shedeur will do good for you coach.”
The viral moment is just the latest sign that Monken and Sanders are building a relationship. The two have now met multiple times, including an early visit to the Browns’ facility right after Monken was hired.
“Hey, we tried to draft your [expletive] last year, for God’s sake,” Monken said. “It’s all worked out. You remember that, right? Someday we’ll get a chance to talk about that.”
Is Shedeur Sanders the Browns’ QB1?
The good vibes off the field don’t mean the starting job will be handed to Sanders. Monken has been careful not to commit to Sanders as QB1, calling it an open competition that also includes Deshaun Watson and potentially Dillon Gabriel. The Browns are also expected to explore free agency and draft options.
“Sure, I think it’s an open competition,” Monken said. “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.”
That said, Monken has been direct about what he sees on tape in Sanders.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken said. “You’ve seen it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go — but what rookie isn’t? I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks.”
Sanders finished his Pro Bowl rookie campaign with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across seven starts.
NFL free agency officially opens March 11 — and Cleveland’s quarterback situation will come into sharper focus soon after.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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