The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken after a coaching search that included several notable names who ultimately did not land the job, and now the real work begins. Monken arrives with a strong offensive résumé after spending the past three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, but Cleveland presents a different kind of puzzle than the one he left behind. Chief among the challenges waiting for him is a quarterback situation that has produced more questions than answers over the past several seasons. According to Mike Jones of The Athletic, how Monken navigates that competition may end up shaping both the Browns’ immediate future and his own long-term standing in Cleveland.
Jones laid out the stakes surrounding Monken’s quarterback decision in a recent piece examining new play callers across the league.
“Can he solve the Browns’ never-ending quarterback carousel?” Jones wrote. “One of Monken’s biggest decisions centers around the team’s starting quarterback. Deshaun Watson is trying again to come back from injury and resurrect his once-promising career. Shedeur Sanders is trying to build on his seven-game stint as a starter in 2025. They also retooled their defense. But Monken’s ability to position one of his three quarterbacks for success could largely determine the short-term future of the franchise and possibly Monken’s long-term future in Cleveland.”
Monken inherits a quarterback room with three distinct storylines, and each comes with its own set of complications. Watson is once again working his way back from injury, hoping to salvage a career that once carried enormous promise but has been derailed repeatedly by setbacks. Sanders is looking to carry over the momentum from his seven-game run as a starter in 2025, a stretch that showed real flashes despite coming as a rookie thrown into difficult circumstances. Gabriel, meanwhile, remains in the mix after his own six-game audition last season, and he is not simply content to serve as depth.
The offensive line and receiver room were both overhauled this offseason, and the defense went through its own significant changes. All of that work is essentially wasted if Monken cannot identify the right quarterback to run his system. A poor decision at the position, or a competition that drags on too long without resolution, could undercut the value of every other move the front office made this offseason.
There is also the matter of Monken’s own standing with the organization. Coaches are often judged quickly in today’s NFL, and a rocky first year built around instability at quarterback would not help his case for long-term security. Getting this decision right, on the other hand, could validate the hire and give Cleveland the stability at the position it has been chasing for years.
None of this will be settled overnight. But how Monken handles this competition, and which quarterback he ultimately trusts with the job, may say as much about his tenure in Cleveland as any scheme he installs on offense.
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