The vibes are about as good as they have been for the Cleveland Browns since their 2023 postseason run. The Browns are 4-2 and top the AFC North, with a realistic path to the playoffs as the middle stretch of the NFL season approaches.
If Todd Monken has his way, this will only be the beginning of a massive turnaround for one of the NFL franchises that has struggled most to find success over the past quarter-century. Monken revealed earlier this week that he hopes to lead a major transformation in Cleveland that puts the franchise among the league's elite.
“I said this when I got the job," Monken said. "Wouldn’t it be cool that, 20 years from now when I'm 80, that people look back and go, ‘Man, why don’t we do it more like the Browns?' 20 years from now,
you flipped the narrative to where they're no longer saying, 'Browns are gonna Browns.' They're saying that, 'Why aren't we more like the Browns? Why don't we do it more like them?' Irrespective of how long I'm the head coach here, isn't that what you should be doing?"
Todd Monken revealed that he wants to transform the Browns’ reputation so that Cleveland becomes a model other teams aspire to emulate.
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) October 24, 2026
“I said this when I got the job. Wouldn’t it be cool that, 20 years from now when I'm 80, that people look back and go, ‘Man, why don’t we do… pic.twitter.com/NYE5wJWmRV
It's hard to imagine a world where the Browns are seen as a franchise to emulate, given that they've made the postseason only three times since moving to Baltimore and being shuttered for three seasons before returning in 1999. However, it's hard to argue that the Browns don't seem on a path to achieve that goal early in the Monken era.
The Browns have four wins and a legitimate path to winning the division in Monken's first season, and their schedule for the rest of the year sets them up for plenty more success. They have what is reportedly the sixth-easiest schedule for the rest of the season, and if they keep winning, Monken could put the franchise on track to reach heights fans have only hoped for over the past 28 years.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Todd Monken hopes to 'flip the narrative' for the Browns franchise
