Former Player Turns Heads With Todd Monken Claim

The Cleveland Browns’ search for a new head coach took a long time, but they finally made a decision after 23 days and decided to hire Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to succeed Kevin Stefanski. The search came down to Monken, Jim Schwartz, and Nathan Scheelhaase, but the experienced OC won out and will now attempt to turn around what has been arguably the NFL’s worst offense over the past two years.

Monken brings plenty of experience and even some familiarity, as he was the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019. While many fans will need time to come around on this hire, one former player recently shared his high praise for Cleveland’s new head coach.

During a recent appearance on Up & Adams, Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey told Kay Adams that Monken is an “offensive genius.” He believes he can do great things for this quarterback room and is a great hire.

“This dude is one of the better offensive minds that we’ve seen in the game. The guy is obviously an offensive genius. I want to see what he does with a true pocket passer like Shedeur Sanders. I see great things for Shedeur.”

"[Todd Monken's] obviously an offensive genius… I want to see what he does with a true pocket passer like Shedeur Sanders"

Champ Bailey sees GREAT things for the young QB under his new head coach 🤩@champbailey | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/pnAst7yT66

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 28, 2026

Bailey pointed out how Monken won a pair of National Championships as Georgia’s offensive coordinator after leaving the Browns, and praised him for helping Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson take the next steps in his development as well. Jackson won his second MVP in Monken’s first year in Baltimore, and in 2024, Jackson and Derrick Henry combined for one of the single greatest rushing seasons ever as they posted over 2,800 yards on the ground with 20 touchdowns between them.

Sanders is a much different player, but Monken’s success over recent years will help the fans and the front office get a better idea of whether or not Shedeur can be the franchise QB this team so desperately needs. This may not be the sexiest hire the Browns could have made, but it’s important to be patient because Monken could turn out to be exactly what the Browns needed.