Todd Monken and Shedeur Sanders are already on the same page, even if not in a way that makes sense to the general public. The Cleveland Browns head coach revealed that he recently connected with his new quarterback over an unorthodox gift that resembled an iconic scene from ‘The Godfather.'
Monken said Sanders sent him a gift for his 60th birthday on Feb. 5, one week after the Browns hired him as their next head coach. He recalled opening the package, being confused to find a porcelain horse head, and then agreeing with his quarterback that it was “really nice.”
“For my birthday, I got this package,” Monken said on CBS Sports. “I thought it was my wife. I opened it up, and it's like this porcelain horse head. It was from Shedeur; he sent me a gift on my birthday. I asked him what was the meaning, he said, ‘Oh, I just really liked it.' So I got myself one.”
Shedeur Sanders sent new Browns head coach Todd Monken a birthday gift
"For my birthday, I got this package. I thought it was from my wife… it's like this porcelain horse head and it's from Shedeur." pic.twitter.com/VdRgRR9oUM
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 26, 2026
A severed horse head was used as an intimidation tactic in the plot of ‘The Godfather,' but not by Sanders. The scene gained mainstream attention when it was revealed that the prop used in the movie was the actual head of a deceased horse.
Browns fans can take solace in the fact that Monken and Sanders operate on the same wavelength, even in the most unconventional way.
Browns' Todd Monken, Shedeur Sanders building relationship
The horse head gesture is an odd step in the right direction after Monken and Sanders seemingly got off to an awkward start. Although Monken has repeatedly praised Sanders since accepting the job, he would not commit to the 2025 Pro Bowler as his inaugural starting quarterback.
Despite Sanders being the Browns' only functional quarterback in 2025, Monken acknowledged DeShaun Watson's impending return and Dillon Gabriel's persisting presence. Monken seemed to view Sanders as the frontrunner, but he wants him to earn it in training camp.
Unless Watson pulled off a superhuman recovery from back-to-back torn Achilles tendons, the job is entirely Sanders' to lose. The sooner Cleveland recognizes that, the sooner it can begin building toward the 2026 season.
