Shedeur Sanders is embracing the "new vibe" under Cleveland Browns' new head coach Todd Monken, returning to his preferred No. 2 jersey while sharing starting reps with Deshaun Watson. After being fourth in line last season under Kevin Stefanski, Sanders now finds himself in a competitive quarterback battle with Watson and Dillon Gabriel as the Browns look to improve on their 5-12 record.

The second-year quarterback started the final seven games of 2025, going 3-4 as a starter and helping secure victories against division rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to close the season. Monken, previously Baltimore's offensive coordinator, has already built a strong rapport with Sanders, who spent the offseason working in Cleveland and even gifted Monken a horse head for his birthday.

With Watson rehabbing from an Achilles tear that kept him out of 2025 action, Sanders enters the 2026 season with legitimate opportunity to establish himself as the Browns' starter. The relationship with Monken has already proven fruitful, with Sanders crediting the coach for "speaking life into him" as Cleveland seeks to turn around its recent struggles under the new coaching staff.