As the Cleveland Browns focus on developing rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees found his name linked to a high-profile college job, forcing him to address his future with the franchise.

Since firing James Franklin earlier this season, Penn State has been hunting for its next head coach. They ultimately landed on Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. But earlier this week, reports surfaced that the Nittany Lions also interviewed the Cleveland Browns‘ offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, for the job before making their final decision.

And as Cleveland prepares to face the Chicago Bears this weekend, Rees was asked about that outside interest, specifically the report that he sat down with Penn State. His answer was straightforward.

“Really focused on trying to play good offensive football and get a young QB ready to play,” Rees said, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “Some of those things are flattering but for me my focus is on (here), a good plan, helping the QB.”

Rees, a former Notre Dame quarterback, has logged three college coaching stops, most notably with the Fighting Irish from 2017 to 2022 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. From there, he served in the same role at Alabama in 2023 under Nick Saban for a year before Kevin Stefanski brought him to Cleveland in 2024 as the pass-game specialist and tight ends coach.

The 33-year-old took over as Browns offensive coordinator this offseason after the team moved on from Ken Dorsey.

Stefanski began the year calling plays, and there’s no denying it. But the head coach handed those duties to Rees last month. And it’s no surprise he showed up on NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero’s annual list of rising head-coaching candidates.

While Penn State did interview him last week, Rees remains fully locked in with the Browns. For now, it’s unclear whether Rees will look for an HC role in the future because he’s currently focusing on developing Sanders, who’s just been recognized by the league for his strong outing against the Tennessee Titans last week.

Shedeur Sanders lost the Week 14 game, but the NFL recognized him for his performance

After a tough outing against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, where he went 16-of-25 for 149 yards, one touchdown, and three sacks, Shedeur Sanders rolled into the Titans matchup needing a bounce-back performance. And he delivered.

The fifth-round rookie went 23-of-42 for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception.

That effort earned him the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week award for Week 14. In the process, the fifth-rounder beat out five other nominees, including teammate Harold Fannin Jr. The Browns still lost 31–29 after failing on a late two-point try.

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But Shedeur’s individual performance didn’t go unnoticed. It even cemented his status as the QB1 for the rest of the season.

“I think [Sanders] has constantly and consistently gotten better in each one of these games and how he’s approached this game,” Coach Stefanski stated. “He’s been working very hard. So, I feel good about where his development is heading. He knows there are always going to be plays that he can be better and those type of things, but he’s very intentional about getting better each and every game he’s out there.”

The Browns are officially out of playoff contention. But with four games still left, Shedeur Sanders has a real chance to quiet his critics and make his case to be Cleveland’s Week 1 starter in 2026. He just needs to prove himself, starting with the Week 15 game against the Bears.