For some Cleveland Browns fans, it was painful when Kevin Stefanski was fired after the season ended. Despite his last two seasons being rough, he had put the team back on the competitive map, taking them to the playoffs twice since he arrived in 2020-a number of appearances the Browns hadn’t seen since 1999.
Stefanski’s biggest problem was that the offense stagnated, a result of poor decisions by him and general manager Andrew Berry, who still holds his position. The Browns had Baker Mayfield, an average NFL quarterback who led them to a playoff victory-their first in that stage since 1994-in an impressive 2020 season win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The main issue arose in the 2021 season when Mayfield’s performance dropped due to injuries. After the season, he was replaced when the team signed Deshaun Watson to a 5-year, $230 million contract-a move that ultimately became a failure. Watson is still on the team but has played only 19 games since signing, and he hasn’t played since Week 7 of 2024.
Todd Monken has arrived with the mission of fixing the offense
With Stefanski’s departure, the Cleveland Browns gave 59-year-old Monken the opportunity to be the new head coach, largely due to his strong work as offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. He had also held that same position with the Browns in 2020 when Baker Mayfield threw three touchdowns to beat the Steelers in the playoffs.
Monken’s first mission now is to decide who will be the Browns’ starting quarterback for 2026. Analyst Ken Carman predicts it will be Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders:
“If I’m predicting, I would want Shedeur because I like him more than I like Deshaun Watson. But I think Deshaun might end up being the guy who ends up number 1,” he said on 92.3 The Fan Cleveland.
So, a tough decision awaits Todd Monken. Shedeur Sanders started the last seven games of the regular season, and while he wasn’t the ultimate solution, he performed better than previous starters Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Shedeur showed explosive plays, and the offense occasionally managed to climb out of the hole.
The problem is that Deshaun Watson remains on the roster, being paid a huge salary, and there is still a slight hope that he can show glimpses of what he once did with the Houston Texans. The reality, however, is that he hasn’t shown anything, and he is coming off a double Achilles tendon rupture. Todd Monken’s decision is now in a very precarious position.
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