The Cleveland Browns found themselves in a familiar position this offseason. Following yet another disappointing year marred by poor quarterback play, the Browns were once again in the market for a new head coach, one who would presumably fix those issues and lead the franchise back to prominence.
The team found that head coach Wednesday, reportedly hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to mulitiple reports.
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With the move, Monken will be tasked with turning around a franchise that has just two winning seasons over the past 18 years and has seen zero quarterbacks selected to the Pro Bowl during that period.
Given the importance of the position, quarterback will almost certainly be the biggest issue facing the Browns now that a new head coach is in place. The team tried to plaster over the problem with a quantity over quality approach last season, at one point having five different quarterbacks on the roster. But Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett were quickly shipped out, leaving the team with veteran Deshaun Watson and soon-to-be second-year passers Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders heading into 2026.
While it will ultimately be up to Monken to make the decision, none of those players have performed well enough to guarantee themselves a role next year. The Watson acquisition proved to be an unmitigated disaster. The quarterback hasn’t been the same since the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans after Watson was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. During his four seasons in Houston, Watson threw for 104 touchdowns and made three Pro Bowls. In three seasons with the Browns, he’s played in just 19 games, throwing 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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The Browns immediately gave Watson a fully-guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract shortly after the trade, which expires following the 2026 NFL season. The team restructured that deal multiple times, giving Watson an unwieldy $80.7 million cap hit for next year, making it tough for the team to part ways with the veteran without penalty.
Gabriel and Sanders both received starts as rookies, though neither player performed all that well. The team seemed to take on an uber-conservative approach with Gabriel, who tossed seven touchdowns over six starts. After Gabriel went down with a concussion, Sanders stepped in and finished out the season as the team’s starter. While he produced a few highlights, Sanders made far too many mistakes, and finished the 2025 season as one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Given those struggles, it’s likely the Browns will consider selecting a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team is not only desperately in need of help at the position, but the timing feels right with a new head coach coming in. If that’s the route the team goes, it would be hard not to link Monken’s success to that quarterback.
Those issues led to the Browns being considered one of the least desirable openings in the NFL this offseason, per Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab. But that doesn’t mean the team is completely bereft of talent.
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For all the struggles the team endured on offense, the Browns’ defense was pretty solid. The team ranked 14th in points allowed in 2025, and saw Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record. Garrett is unequivocally one of the top — if not the top — defensive players in the NFL and a true game-wrecker. His presence alone should ensure the Browns’ defense remains at least some fearsome heading into next season.
While the 2025 NFL season ended poorly for the Browns, the team did experience success under former head coach Kevin Stefanski. In six seasons on the job, Stefanski led the Browns to the playoffs twice, earning the AP Coach of the Year award in both seasons. His .442 winning percentage was the best the Browns have experienced since Bill Belichick and his .451 winning percentage left the team following the 1995 season.
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Compared to other Browns coaches in recent memory, Monken could face heightened expectations following the Stefanski era. To make matters even worse, Stefanski is among the more popular head-coaching candidates this offseason, potentially giving him an opportunity to immediately prove to the Browns that they made the wrong decision to let him go.
None of that will matter if the Browns got it right this time around. There’s a lot of work to do in Cleveland, but if Monken can decide on — and coach up — the team’s quarterback of the future, that would go a long way toward ending decades of futility most Browns fans are eager to forget.
This story will be updated.