The rivalry between the Browns and Steelers is never going to be non-personal for fans or everyone involved at every level of both teams. Even when people are removed from the rivalry, the animosity remains in place.
During NBC's Football Night in America in Week 1, former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made a harsh statement while recapping the game. He simply stated, "Browns are gonna Brown." It turns out that soundbite was on Browns head coach Todd Monken's mind, and he shared what he finally thought after his team's first win of the season.
"Browns are gonna Browns. F--- that!"
On Sunday night in Week 2, Tomlin was asked about and provided a rebuttal to the comments made by Monken.
Mike Tomlin's one-liners are still having an impact
in the NFL. 😂 📺 Sunday Night Football: Colts at Chiefs on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/OwECs8tf1s
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 20, 2026
After his pregame comments, Tomlin was asked about it more in depth and gave added context to how he feels about it all, saying, "I love my new role, you know why? I can provide bulletin board material with no personal consequence."
To Tomlin's credit, he did give the Browns props for the adjustments they made from Week 1 to Week 2, especially on defense. Now we have to see what is next on tap in Week 3 for the Browns, and it will come down to their matchup with the Carolina Panthers at home.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Mike Tomlin responds to Todd Monken's post-game comments
