Former Player Highlights What Makes Todd Monken Different

After weeks of contemplation and interviews, the Cleveland Browns have finally decided on Todd Monken as their new head coach. Monken was the offensive coordinator in Cleveland in 2019, and he’s spent the last three seasons in Baltimore, a big reason that Lamar Jackson has been so successful.

He’s viewed not only as a strong offensive mind but also as someone with high character and the ability to run a locker room, which the Browns desperately need. Kevin Stefanski was mostly respected during his time with the team, but after winning just eight games over the past two seasons, it was evident that the players wanted a change.

Monken certainly provides that, and as Cecil C Shorts III noted in a recent appearance on 92.3’s “The Fan,” his coaching style and personality could be a major boost for this organization.

“He’s 100-percent straight forward. That’s what you need to hear as a player. He knew how to communicate with everybody,” Shorts said.

"He's 100-percent straight forward. That's what you need to hear as a player. He knew how to communicate with everybody."

🚨 @CShortsIII with @NickWilsonSays and @JPeterlin on the impact that Todd Monken can have on the #Browns locker room 🏈 pic.twitter.com/uAJz7DAVaL

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 29, 2026

Shorts was a receiver on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016, Monken’s first season with the team. Monken was the wide receivers coach, so he and Shorts spent plenty of time together, and he had an opportunity to see what he was like from a player-coach perspective.

It will be interesting to see how Monken transforms this team and whether he can deliver the level of impact on the offensive side of the ball that fans are hoping for. The Browns’ defense has been their calling card in recent seasons, especially in 2025, but their offense has fallen short of expectations.

If that unit can figure things out sooner rather than later, and they can be, at the very least, an average offense, the Browns could get a lot better in a short amount of time. Four of their losses in 2025 were within five points, so if they had won those games, their record would have been 9-8.

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but if the Browns’ offense gets 10-20 percent better, there’s no telling how much more successful this team will be in 2026 and beyond.