The Myles Garrett situation just escalated significantly, and some are not treating it as a non-story anymore.
Tony Grossi weighed in on the revelation that Todd Monken has still not had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett, and his read on Monken’s one-word response from Wednesday carries a level of concern.
“Monken’s irritated by it. That’s not a phony reaction he had. He’s irritated. He could have very easily said, ‘Don’t worry about it, guys.’ He didn’t. He’s just, ‘No. I haven’t seen him. Next question.’ I think he is irritated. Keep a marker on mandatory minicamp. I expect him to be there. If not, it’s a major story,” Grossi said.
Do you think it's a big deal that Browns HC Todd Monken has STILL not met Myles Garrett? https://t.co/6VCaPpoBvi pic.twitter.com/Y6SPCBSo33
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 21, 2026
Monken could have handled that question differently. A head coach who wants to downplay the situation says something like, no concerns there, Myles will be in when he is ready, we are all on the same page. That is the diplomatic non-answer that coaches give when they want to move on without creating a headline. Monken did not do that. He said no, and moved on. No cushioning, no context, no reassurance. Just a flat, clipped one-word answer that told every reporter in the room exactly how he felt without him having to say another word.
The broader concern here is what this says about the relationship between Garrett and the new regime before it has even properly begun. Monken is a first-year head coach who is trying to install a new culture, build relationships across a roster full of new faces, and establish the standard he has been preaching since the day he was hired. Every head coach in this league needs his best and most influential player to be present, engaged, and setting an example for the younger players around him. Garrett not being in the building while all of this is happening is a problem regardless of whether the OTAs are technically voluntary.
There are still legitimate questions about Garrett’s long-term happiness in Cleveland. The whispers have not fully gone away. A new head coach, a new defensive coordinator in Mike Rutenberg, a new scheme to learn, and an organization that is clearly in a transitional phase are all variables that could be factoring into how Garrett is approaching this offseason.
Mandatory minicamp is the line. If Garrett is there, this likely fades as a storyline. If he is not, Browns fans are going to have much bigger questions to answer than who starts at quarterback in week one.
NEXT: Analyst Says Todd Monken Is Everything The Last Coach Wasn't
