Deion Sanders is looking to meet with Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken regarding his son, Shedeur Sanders. While he did clarify that he plans to meet Monken purely in a coaching capacity, the former New England Patriots Super Bowl champion still feels that involving Coach Prime and his son would end up being a terrible decision.

“I think that’s the worst thing you can do is inject yourself into it.” Je’Rod Cherry said on ESPN Cleveland on May 15, 2026. “Todd Monken doesn’t volunteer unless he goes searching for you. Right. Then I think you make yourself available because that’s the problem. Because what are you going to say that’s going to help him look at you from a biased standpoint, regardless? because you are still, even though you’re sitting as a coach, you’re his dad.“

Emmett Golden also backed Jerod Cherry’s stance on the matter. The analyst pointed out the locker-room concerns the move could create for the Cleveland Browns.

“In the locker room, it may come over like, ‘Oh, this dude got his dad, you know what I’m saying, politicking for him,’” Golden said. “So, to each his own, and I’m sure Todd Monken will be like, ‘Yeah, let’s meet and have a conversation.’ But I don’t think it’s possible to separate coach and dad.”

Apparently, Deion Sanders believes the pre-draft process and rookie season in Cleveland took a real toll on his son. Once projected as a high draft pick, Shedeur ultimately fell to 144th overall after enduring heavy criticism and a grueling draft experience, something Deion said left lasting “scars.”

“When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back; he’s been through hell, but he’s made it through hell,” Deion said in an appearance on The Barbershop on Thursday.

With new head coach Todd Monken at the helm, Shedeur is battling for the starter job with Deshaun Watson. Sanders spoke multiple times last season about feeling like he wasn’t given a fair opportunity to prove himself. He also opened up about how difficult it was to handle his position on the depth chart, especially early in the offseason when he found himself at the very bottom.

He entered training camp as one of four quarterbacks on the roster. However, the injuries and roster changes eventually opened the door for him. After the Browns traded starting quarterback Joe Flacco and Gabriel suffered a concussion, Sanders made his debut in Week 11 and went on to start the final seven games of the season. Cleveland posted a 3-4 record during that stretch and finished 5-12 overall before parting ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski after the season.

Despite the challenges, Shedeur Sanders completed 120 of 212 passes (56.6 percent) for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while being sacked 23 times.

While there’s no doubt Shedeur Sanders has faced a difficult road, many around the league have also pointed to Deion Sanders’s heavy involvement as a potential factor affecting his career trajectory.

Last year around this time, speaking to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, several team executives made it clear that Shedeur Sanders’ draft slide was about more than just football. Many around the league believed Father Sanders’ strong involvement in the process may have also contributed to the fall.

“I think his dad’s involvement hurt him. Some of the things his dad said, I think, weighed on people’s minds.” anonymous NFL executive said, pointing to Deion Sanders’ influence in Shedeur’s fall during the 2025 NFL Draft.

But now, Shedeur has something of a fresh start as he enters a quarterback competition alongside Deshaun Watson under head coach Todd Monken. Still, earning a bigger role won’t come easy with the growing competition in the Browns’ quarterback room.

Growing competition in Browns’ camp

The Cleveland Browns head into the 2026 NFL season with one of the league’s most uncertain quarterback situations. Shedeur Sanders is expected to compete with Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green for reps during training camp and preseason workouts.

The competition is adding even more pressure on Shedeur following the tough rookie season. He had a record of 3-4 after taking the starting position late in the year. The Browns started the 2025 season with Joe Flacco as their starter, while Shedeur was third on the depth chart after Gabriel.

Shedeur was elevated from third string after Flacco got traded to the Cincinnati Bengals before Week 6 but was unable to play until Week 11. He got his chance after Gabriel sustained a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens. Once he got on the field, Shedeur showed flashes of potential, throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight appearances, completing 56.6% of his throws.

While Deion Sanders has expressed interest in helping coach Todd Monken better understand his son, the competition inside the Browns quarterback room remains intense.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, Watson has emerged from voluntary minicamp as the early frontrunner for the starting job. Moreover, ahead of OTAs, FanDuel released odds for the Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback, with Deshaun Watson emerging as the favorite. Watson holds -174 odds (63.5% chance of winning), while Shedeur Sanders follows with the second-best odds at +136 (42.4% chance of winning).

Still, Monken recently said he is “not there yet” on making a final decision, leaving the door open for Shedeur to continue making his case.