Todd Monken has been into coaching since the 1980s. But the 2026 season has been extra special since he became the head coach for the first time. So, Monken must have looked forward to being part of the yearly tradition of clicking group picture. But after he missed it, he made his feelings clear.

After he was called out for missing the NFL coaches group photograph, Monken replied to the negative chatter.

“I really don’t give a s***,” Monken said in his latest presser on April 8. “And was it disappointing? You bet your a** it was disappointing. Am I allowed to be head coach if I’m not in the head coach’s picture? And what will matter most is how we move from here and do we win or not. Ultimately, none of that will matter.”

Out of the 32 coaches, two missed the photo taken at this year’s NFL meeting. One was Monken, and the other was Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. For Monken, the reason behind his absence is ironic.

The Cleveland Browns' head coach needed just 20 minutes. According to reporter Daniel Oyefusi, the photo session was initially scheduled at noon. However, it happened right after a coaches’ meeting while Monken was off to get a haircut for the said photo later that day. 

Once done with the haircut, the head coach was on his way for the photo when Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen informed him that he had missed the chance.

So, Monken's frustration was evident in the latest presser. Yes, it was a harmless mix-up. But for Monken, it leads to criticism since he has been under constant scrutiny.

Todd Monken’s Every Move Is Judged Before The Season Even Starts

His critics are at odds with him, claiming that the 60-year-old cannot be trusted with the Browns in the long term. Since 2000, Monken’s predecessor Kevin Stefanski, Butch Davis, and Romero Crennell are the only Cleveland HC to have lasted for more than two seasons.

The Athletic placed Monken at No.9 with zero points. Adding salt to injury, when he was hired, former and incredibly successful defense coordinator Jim Schwartz quit the Browns.

He was up for the head coach position and reportedly left the building when he heard of Monken’s hiring, who has never coached in the NFL before. 

At the same time, Monken walks into a storm of history. 41 quarterbacks since 1999, seasons defined by 0-16 and 1-31, and only eight wins across the last two years.

Based on how 2025 unfolded, Cleveland must fix its offense. The defense was dominant, but the offense lagged behind and was among the last. It was mainly because of the unstable quarterback room.

But Monken still does not have a concrete answer at quarterback, among Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel. So, even though in his fiery speech, he talked about keeping distractions at bay, he still has a long way to go to prove himself.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar