After six years under Kevin Stefanski, the Cleveland Browns are entering a new identity under Todd Monken. As the season gets closer, a Hall of Famer and former Browns tackle has made his feelings known about the first-time NFL head coach.

Browns legend Joe Thomas has called Monken the perfect fit for the Browns, stressing that coaching decisions are not one-size-fits-all across the NFL. According to him, the Browns’ current situation calls for a specific type of leadership.

“If you don’t have a quarterback or have a young quarterback, then I wanna coach that can develop that position because that’s the most important human being in the franchise,” Thomas said.

With the $230 million Deshaun Watson sidelined last year, two rookies, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, took the field, highlighting this need for development.

Joe Thomas thinks that Todd Monken is the perfect fit for that, especially with his track record. Lamar Jackson won the MVP when Monken was the OC of the Baltimore Ravens. Surely, this would motivate both players to give their best in 2026.

Who Will Todd Monken Choose as the Browns QB1?

Joe Thomas recently also said, "That quarterback better be good, otherwise everyone’s going to get fired." But the biggest question the Browns fandom has been asking is who will be the Browns' QB1 under head coach Todd Monken?

Under Kevin Stefanski, a competition for the starting quarterback position was a common sight. This was visible even in 2025, with Gabriel scoring seven passing touchdowns in 10 games while Shedeur reached that mark in eight. Under Monken, we could see this competition continue.

"I mean, I don’t why it wouldn’t be an open competition. I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet. Whether internally or externally,” the new head coach said in late February.

As of now, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are the front-runners for the role. But Sanders threw the most intercepted passes by a QB with 8 or fewer games played in 2025, with 10 interceptions, and Deshaun Watson has been inconsistent with injury issues. Who would you pick?

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote