In January, Todd Monken became the Browns' 11th head coach since 1999. Months later, Myles Garrett is with the Rams, the QB1 job is still up for grabs, and uncertainty lingers. Can Monken now achieve what almost no other Browns coaches have achieved in terms of wins?

Apart from Kevin Stefanski, every other Browns head coach failed in their debut season since 1999, with none posting a .500 or better winning percentage.

Stefanski, on the other hand, bucked the trend by going 11-5 in 2020, delivering Cleveland's first playoff victory since 1994 and earning Coach of the Year honors.

According to Ernesto Cova of FanSided, Monken will try to accomplish what none of his predecessors could, but there are more questions than answers.

The defense took a serious hit when Myles Garrett was traded to the Rams. In return, Cleveland received pass rusher Jared Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, along with possibly two 2027 first-round picks.

While Garrett was certainly the Browns' best defender, the team still had one of the league's best defenses last year, and that momentum could carry into this season as well.

Cleveland ranked No. 4 in the NFL in defensive yards allowed per game last season, surrendering just 263.8 YPG.

Even without Garrett, the Browns still have plenty of defensive talent, led by Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit, Carson Schwesinger, and Jared Verse.

Moreover, Monken arrived in Baltimore carrying a strong offensive reputation, joining Lamar Jackson. Monken helped unlock another MVP-level season from Jackson in 2023 before guiding the Baltimore Ravens to the NFL's No. 1 total offense in 2024.

RB Quinshon Judkins, TE Harold Fannin Jr., and rookie WR Denzel Boston give the offensive line a much-needed boost, but what’s lacking is the QB room having a clear-cut starter.

Could Todd Monken give Deshaun Watson a chance?

The bigger picture is the quarterback room. Monken said he wanted to name a starting quarterback before training camp in July, but now it appears that decision could stretch well beyond that, and the Browns are running out of time.

“Would the Browns actually go back to Deshaun Watson, who hasn’t played since October of 2024? They shouldn’t, but they might,” wrote insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

Deshaun Watson has been out of the picture for a while now. Shedeur Sanders, on the other hand, threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in eight games. With that in mind, Jackson believes that Monken should go with Sanders.

“The best option for a team pushing all of its chips into the future is second-year man Shedeur Sanders, who showed some good and some bad in starting the final seven games of his rookie season. Sanders finished the spring strong but didn’t thoroughly outplay Watson, so the battle will resume in late July and continue into August,” wrote Jackson.

Monken's system relies on structure and downfield throwing, principles that worked with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, but the head coach is currently assessing this mainly with both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.

That said, history has not been kind to Browns head coaching debuts, with Kevin Stefanski being the lone exception.

Monken will have to get his team together by the end of this month and begin preparations in earnest. Otherwise, things could quickly go downhill for the Browns this season as well.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote