There is a new day for the Cleveland Browns, even as fans have to once again deal with QB Deshaun Watson being the team’s potential starter again and a little bit of embarrassment with Todd Monken missing his first coaches meeting and picture for a haircut. Monken took the place of HC Kevin Stefanski, who was fired after six years with the team.
Like any coach, Stefanski is judged by wins and losses. In six seasons, the new Atlanta Falcons head coach compiled a 45-56 record, two playoff appearances,
and the fourth most victories in franchise history.
It wasn’t good enough; now it is Monken’s turn.
Speaking at the NFL owners meeting, the Browns new top guy noted that he planned to have his players play in preseason, but did not commit to a certain amount of snaps. Under Stefanski, starters rarely played with top stars like DE Myles Garrett sitting out most or all preseason games the last few years.
Monken also noted that, unlike last season when four quarterbacks were in competition for the starting role, he did not plan to divide snaps up evenly, or even close:
Monken clearly is open to what could happen within the competition, as he noted at the NFL combine, but isn’t going to waste time giving practice time to players who they do not think are going to contribute to the team.
Last offseason, Stefanski had the Browns practices split up in ways to allow all four quarterbacks to get as many reps as possible. While Shedeur Sanders did not get many snaps with the first team, Stefanski wanted to provide each with a chance to make their case for the starting role. Kenny Pickett seemed to have the early edge but an injury put Joe Flacco in the driver’s seat to start the season. After Flacco was benched and traded, Dillon Gabriel took over as the starter before giving way to Sanders.
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, Watson and Sanders seem likely to compete for the starting job while Flacco is the backup with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Pickett is with the Carolina Panthers, his fourth team in a year. Gabriel seems to be the odd man out, but is still on Cleveland’s roster.
What do you think so far about Monken’s plans and how they differ from Stefanski’s?
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