For the second consecutive year, the Cleveland Browns’ season was forgettable, with consequences including the firing of Kevin Stefanski as head coach. Stefanski had held the position since 2020 and had led the team to the playoffs a couple of times; however, he finished 2024 with 3 wins and 2025 with 5, so patience ran out and changes were made.
Now, the chosen head coach for the Browns is Todd Monken, who, despite being 59 years old, had never held a head coaching position before. He clearly earned this opportunity due to his outstanding work as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, where he achieved great success. In 2023 and 2024, he led a top-five NFL offense and helped make Lamar Jackson MVP in the first of those seasons.
Kevin Stefanski did a good job as head coach relative to the history of the Browns, but the major problem was that the offense ranked among the worst in the league over the past two years. Last season, they had the second-worst offense in the NFL, averaging just 16.4 points per game. Monken now faces a major challenge ahead.
Who will be the Browns’ quarterback?
The million-dollar question remains-just as it was last season, the situation repeats itself for the Cleveland Browns. According to team insider Mary Kay Cabot, Deshaun Watson has a 40% chance of being the starter, the same as Shedeur Sanders, with the remaining 20% going to another quarterback, whether Dillon Gabriel, someone from free agency, or the draft.
Discussions continue, and now Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland has released betting odds, making Shedeur Sanders (+180) the favorite over Deshaun Watson (+250), Dillon Gabriel (+450), and others (+500).
A slight favoritism toward Shedeur Sanders is emerging. For some, it wouldn’t be surprising-he ended up starting last season and appears to have the support of team leaders. Additionally, Monken tried to recruit him in the last draft while he was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, indicating he sees something promising in Sanders.
In his seven starts, Shedeur Sanders had ups and downs, but he clearly looked better than Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Even so, his numbers were modest: 1,400 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. There’s still a lot of work to do before Monken decides who he will trust in his first season as head coach.
Read the full article here
