The Cleveland Browns finally hired a new coach after a 23-day search, as they landed on Todd Monken, choosing him over Jim Schwartz and Nathan Scheelhaase. It wasn’t most fans’ first choice, but Monken is an experienced offensive mind and well-qualified to take the next step.
Now that the head coaching situation is sorted out, everyone can move on to other tasks at hand, and no task is bigger than figuring out this quarterback situation. Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel are all slated to be on the roster once again in 2026, leaving the front office very little flexibility to explore any external options at the position.
The reason why there is no flexibility is due to Watson’s $80 million cap hit in 2026. There isn’t a palatable out in his contract until after 2027, but a new path out of the Watson business recently revealed itself through his wife’s TikTok where she joked about moving to Italy.
“TRENDING: #Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s new wife Jilly Anais wants to move to Italy. Deshaun does not want to move to Europe. Watson has $92 million in fully guaranteed money remaining on his contract,” MLFootball wrote.
TRENDING: #Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s new wife Jilly Anais wants to move to Italy.
Deshaun does not want to move to Europe.
Watson has $92 million in fully guaranteed money remaining on his contract.
pic.twitter.com/KCErTbuPUd https://t.co/YLPSDtGte0— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 30, 2026
Having an $80 million backup quarterback makes building a strong roster infinitely more difficult, so there will be plenty of pressure on the draft once again. The Watson situation surely contributed to multiple coaching candidates denying the Browns’ job, but Monken is here for the long-term and will hopefully be given the benefit of the doubt if things don’t get turned around right away.
It’s great to see that Watson has apparently found happiness off the field with his new wife, but it’s tough to see a path to this situation turning around and being a success on the field.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Why Jim Schwartz Will Likely Leave Cleveland
