The Cleveland Browns have a new leader on the sidelines after they officially hired Todd Monken to be their new head coach. Monken spent the past three seasons serving as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator, but now will be tasked with leading a Browns team looking to make a leap on that side of the field.
Cleveland’s offensive struggles in the 2025 NFL season can be chalked up to a revolving door at the quarterback position, coupled with a banged-up offensive line. Former head coach Kevin Stefanski had to cycle through the likes of Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who were throwing to an underwhelming group of receivers.
With Monken on board, the overall scheme should see a lift, though the front office still needs to improve the roster’s overall offensive talent. The quarterback question remains unanswered, though a solution could come via free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft.
Defensively, the Browns should remain an elite unit, considering Myles Garrett will be back to lead the group. While Garrett causes disruption up front, players like Denzel Ward patrol the secondary, and he’ll be counted on to lead the defensive back room again in 2026.
After Monken’s hire was announced, Ward offered his thoughts on his new head coach.
“I’m just looking forward to us having an amazing offense. We kind of struggled on that end of the field when we were out there during the season, but just looking forward to playing better, and all of us playing better together and looking forward to him being our new head coach,” Ward said.
"I'm just looking forward to us having an amazing offense." 💪
Denzel Ward on what excites him about Todd Monken becoming the Browns' head coach 🏈 pic.twitter.com/hPpApSOa2Y
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 1, 2026
From the sound of it, Ward is genuinely excited to have Monken on board because of how he can uplift the offense. Ward has already played for several different head coaches in his NFL career, so hopefully Monken proves to be the best one to date.
Ward and the defense should be fine given that most of their core pieces are returning, but the Browns need the offense to take a leap forward if they hope to be in the playoff mix come 2026.
NEXT: A Key Addition Is Coming To The Browns’ Offensive Staff
