NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens Training Camp Jul 27, 2024 Owings Mill , MD, USA Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken walks the field during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mill Under Armour Performance Center MD USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTommyxGilliganx 20240727_twg_gb3_024
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens Training Camp Jul 27, 2024 Owings Mill , MD, USA Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken walks the field during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mill Under Armour Performance Center MD USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTommyxGilliganx 20240727_twg_gb3_024
Feb 17, 2026, 6:55 AM CUT
"No-Nonsene" Former NFL GM Shares Honest Thoughts Over Todd Monken
Did the Cleveland Browns hit gold by hiring Todd Monken as their head coach? Because former NFL GM Tom Telesco believes they did.
During his recent appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio, he shared his honest opinion on Monken and the Browns.
“He’s a tough, no-nonsense head coach, and he fits Cleveland,” Telesco, the former Las Vegas Raiders GM, said.
Telseco was a part of the committee responsible for finding the Browns their new head coach after Kevin Stefanski was fired. The committee comprised Browns general manager, Andrew Berry, who got his first NFL job through Telesco in 2009.
Telesco, also the former GM of the Las Vegas Chargers, hand-picked 59-year-old Monken, who narrowly won against Nate Scheelhaase.
Scheelhaase was the Los Angeles Rams' game pass coordinator and a frontrunning candidate thanks to the impressive resume he built while being only 35 years old.
But Telesco’s Comments Provide an Insight Into Why the Browns Picked Monken
After the Browns announced Monken as Kevin Stefanski's replacement, there was an uproar questioning his experience and qualms about his age. Critics felt that 59-year-old Monken would underwhelm since he has never coached in the Pro League.
Add that to the 4-12 and 5-14 records in the past two seasons, and the Browns are in no position to experiment.
Monken, however, has a glorious history of transforming teams for the better. His coaching career spans over 36 years, across college and pro football. For example, Southern Mississippi was at rock bottom with a 0-12 record when Monken was hired.
But within a year, the Golden Eagles recovered with a 9-5 record and won the Conference USA West Division title.
Monken also fixed Georgia’s offensive unit as its coordinator and won national titles in 2021 and 2022.
The following year, Monken took over the same role with the Baltimore Ravens, and the franchise ranked 4th in offensive efficiency. Franchise quarterback Jackson Lamar won his second MVP award under Monken.
With such an explosive coaching history, Telesco’s faith in Monken holds strong ground. And fans are left wondering if this is the year the Browns’ offence becomes elite, like their defensive unit.
Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!
Written by
Akanksha Biradar
Edited by
Joyita Das