One of the most important unknowns for the Cleveland Browns and their fans heading toward the 2026 NFL Draft is new head coach Todd Monken and the type of players he wants on his team. As one of the oldest first-time NFL head coaches in history, Monken should have a lot of past experience to draw from, but it has yet to be seen where that will lead.
He also has the additional burden of turning around the perception of the Browns as a franchise. It’s easy to find players willing to do anything to win when they are set up to do so, but much more difficult when things that are out of their control may be working against them.
Insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com recently revealed a key trait that Monken is looking for in Browns players, and it is that they have to love football.
“It’s such a demanding job [being a head coach]. So physically demanding, emotionally demanding, you really do have to love [football]. Maybe that has been the problem in the past with some players. Do you actually love the game of football, or do you love what the game of football can do for you? If you can get to the bottom of that, then you will have a roster full of players who would just run right through the wall for you,” Cabot said.
It might be considered obvious that to reach this level of the sport, a player has to be fully dedicated to the game. However, as Cabot points out, the higher they climb, the more distractions there are, be it financial considerations, celebrity status, or other demands.
Since being hired to replace Kevin Stefanski in January, Monken has been lauded for his genuine approach when speaking to the media and owning up to some mistakes, like missing the annual NFL coaches photo because he was getting a haircut. That no-nonsense attitude may work with some players and not with others, and it’s the head coach’s job to figure out how to get the most out of each player individually while at the same time creating an overall team-wide culture.
This will be most noticeable for the Browns at quarterback, where Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are about to compete for the starting job. They each have questions about their dedication to the game attached to their reputations, which could prove to be a challenge for Monken to navigate.
After the draft, Monken will have a full offseason to get everyone on the same page, which will be crucial to any success he has this year.
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