.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
The Cleveland Browns have played against Todd Monken's offenses during his time as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, he'll be calling the shots from the big seat in Cleveland, being named the Browns new head coach on Wednesday morning to take over for Kevin Stefanski.
Cleveland goes from one offensive-minded head coach to another in the change from Stefanski to Monken.
Monken was set to likely be the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants after they hired John Harbaugh, but now he gets a head-coaching gig himself.
Monken will have plenty of questions to answer.
MORE: President Trump reveals feelings on Bill Belichick missing HOF
Is Todd Monken a good coach?
The simple answer is that it's hard to know if Monken is a good NFL head coach, because he's never been one before.
He has only been a head football coach for three seasons of his entire career, at that was at Southern Miss from 2013 through 2015. He did win Conference USA Coach of the Year honors there.
Monken was also a two-time national champion offensive coordinator with the University of Georgia, so that speaks in his favor.
As an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, Monken has worked three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18), one with the Browns (2019) and three with the Ravens (2023-25).
His offenses in Tampa Bay ranked 18th in yards his first season, then ninth in yardage and third in yardage in the two seasons that followed, so he showed great improvement there.
His lone season in Cleveland was just a 22nd-ranked yardage offense in Baker Mayfield's second season.
MORE: Eli Manning and Bill Belichick now have something in common
With the Ravens, they ranked sixth in yardage in 2023 and first in yards in 2024 before regressing while battered with injuries in 2025 to 16th in yards, but still 11th in points.
Monken embraced a run-heavy offense in Baltimore, leaning into his personnel, but his Buccaneers offenses passes as much as anyone in the league, so it's clear he'll embrace the players he has on hand.
With Cleveland, that would likely mean leaning into the running game with Quinshon Judkins and trying to keep things simple if QB Shedeur Sanders remains the starter.
It's not obvious yet who Monken will have to run his defense, but only when a DC hire is made will it be more clear how Myles Garrett could be impacted coming off his record-setting 2025 season.
All told, Monken seems to have positive offensive upside as a hire, but he hasn't yet proven himself in the big shoes in the NFL.
More NFL news:
- The Josh Allen reason the Bills are hiring Joe Brady as head coach
- This is what we know about Matthew Stafford's retirement plans
- Somehow, there has been a more nonsensical Pro Bowl QB than Shedeur Sanders
- Tom Brady broke out a crazy $653,000 watch
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is bringing the Cowboys to the Super Bowl with a tattoo
- Drake Maye really called his own number on the biggest play of the year
English (US)