Coach of the Year races usually reward one thing above all else: exceeding expectations. The coaches who take a team written off in the summer and turn it into a contender tend to rise to the top of the ballot. It is early, but a few names are already separating themselves. Cleveland’s head coach is one of them.
FOX Sports’ Eric Williams ranked Todd Monken 2nd on his Coach of the Year ballot, behind only Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell.
“Few NFL observers expected first-year head coaches in Klint Kubiak and Todd Monken to have their teams atop the division at this point of the season, and both have done it with veteran quarterbacks considered past their prime. Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with nine, and Deshaun Watson has stayed healthy and is playing efficient football in Cleveland for the first time since the trade,” Williams wrote.
Kubiak landed 3rd on the list after a strong start in Las Vegas, while O’Connell earned the top spot with Minnesota sitting as the only undefeated team in the NFC North, even with Kyler Murray still finding his footing.
Monken’s case starts with where the Browns came from. Cleveland finished last in the AFC North in 2025, and entering this season, the Browns had some of the longest championship odds in the league. Three weeks in, they are 2-1 and tied for first in the division.
The quarterback decision is a big part of that. Monken chose Watson over Shedeur Sanders despite heavy fan support for the younger quarterback, and Watson has rewarded him with 5 touchdown passes, 1 interception and a league-best 148.4 passer rating in the 4th quarter. He became the first Browns quarterback since Brian Sipe in 1980 to throw go-ahead, game-winning touchdowns in the final 4 minutes of consecutive games.
The defense has been just as important. Mike Rutenberg, in his first year as Monken’s defensive coordinator, has built a unit that held Carolina to 18 points and pressured Bryce Young on 30 of 47 dropbacks. Monken gave Rutenberg and his staff the first game ball after Sunday’s win.
Monken has also leaned into a youth movement. Denzel Boston, Austin Barber, Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion are all contributing as rookies, and 2nd-year defensive tackle Mason Graham has a sack in every game.
His leadership has stood out off the field as well. He publicly called out the penalties that nearly cost his team on Sunday, then celebrated with fans around the stadium after the win.
Browns fans have seen this award come to Cleveland recently, as Monken’s predecessor won it twice during turnaround seasons. That history shows exactly what voters look for.
Still, it is only 3 weeks into a 17-game season, and the Browns have plenty to clean up. Thursday’s primetime matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers is the first AFC North game of the year and the biggest test yet for Monken’s team. A win would keep the Browns on top of the division and keep their head coach firmly in the Coach of the Year conversation.
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