The Cleveland Browns are one of the more interesting teams entering training camp and the preseason. No one really knows what’s going to happen at the Browns’ quarterback position, and with a new head coach hired this offseason, any option is on the table.
But one fan-favorite choice, and a player who may have the most potential, is second-year QB Shedeur Sanders. With a good offseason, Sanders could get the job, and his father, Deion Sanders, could help him make that happen at training camp.
Unlike Last Year, Deion Sanders Visited His Son, Shedeur Sanders, at Training Camp
At this time last year, the Browns QB position was in a similarly confusing spot. Deshaun Watson was still injured, veteran Joe Flacco was the favorite due to his prior success in the offense, Kenny Pickett was the dark-horse choice, Dillon Gabriel was just a third-round pick, and Sanders was all the way at the bottom of the list.
In 2025, Pickett was traded before the season; Flacco started, then got traded later; Gabriel went in and was nowhere near good enough; and Sanders ended up with the starting job.
It wasn’t perfect with Sanders, as shown by his final ranking in PFN’s 2025 QB Impact Metric, which was 37th, the second-worst in the league, but he did go 3-4 as the starter. That finish is a strong argument heading into 2026, but he will face competition again, this time from Watson, Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green.
Another new factor is that, unlike last year, Shedeur’s father, Deion, attended the Browns’ training camp. In a new video, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach explained why he was not present at training camp last year, and what changed for 2026.
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“He [Shedeur] called me and texted me and told me, sent me the schedule,” Deion revealed. “So, when he sends me the schedule, that means, in his voice, ‘Dad, I want you to come see me.’ I ain’t get that text last year, but I got it this year.”
🚨BREAKING NEWS: Coach Prime explains why he REALLY went up to CLEVELAND…
Being a Father is his MOST IMPORTANT JOB… pic.twitter.com/83bnGBpPWk
— Life and Football (@LifeandBall) July 31, 2026
In the video, Deion also talked about his role as a father and said he was going to practice because it’s important for his son. The two are pretty busy during the season, with Shedeur playing and Deion coaching, so this is a rare time they can be in the same place at the same time.
It is interesting to look back at last year and see why that text was sent then. With all the attention on Shedeur, inviting his father to training camp may have created a major media presence that the Browns, or even Shedeur himself, may not have wanted. But this year is different, and it would make sense that this decision was made with the approval of HC Todd Monken.
On Thursday, Monken also revealed details about his conversation with Deion. The Browns head coach said, “We just started telling stories, and we really didn’t get to almost any football. We got into NIL and Jackson State and Colorado, and how we almost drafted him [Shedeur] in Baltimore, that crazy scenario, and what a great job Shedeur’s done since I’ve been here in terms of his development. It was good. It was part-coach, part-father, which is what it should be.”
