Baltimore Ravens players aren’t entirely convinced that Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is being honest about his emotions ahead of Sunday’s matchup against his former team.
Monken, who spent three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, insists that facing the Ravens carries no additional significance. However, several of his former players believe the coach will bring extra motivation to the AFC North matchup.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey questioned Monken’s comments as they discussed the upcoming reunion.
“If I know Todd the way I think I know Todd, he will want to kick our tail,” Humphrey said, according to ESPN.
Running back Derrick Henry also expects Monken to have plenty to say behind closed doors, despite the coach’s public insistence that Sunday’s game is no different from any other.
The Ravens enter the Week 6 matchup with a 4-1 record and a three-game winning streak, while the Browns are 3-2.
Derrick Henry Expects Todd Monken to Deliver a Different Message to Browns Players
“He might not say it in the media, but to the team, he’s definitely talking a lot of trash and letting them know he wants to beat us.”
Henry believes Monken’s message in Cleveland’s locker room will differ considerably from what he’s told reporters.
“He might not say it in the media, but to the team, he definitely talks a lot of trash and letting them know he wants to beat us,” Henry said Thursday.
Monken addressed those comments Friday after multiple people sent him a video of Henry discussing his former offensive coordinator.
The Browns coach maintained that he has no additional motivation to defeat Baltimore.
“It’s not personal. It’s strictly business… do I want to win? Not more than any other week,” Monken said, according to ESPN’s Justin Cooper.
“And my message isn’t any different this week than it was the previous five weeks.”
Monken’s response came ahead of his first matchup against the Ravens since leaving the organization nine months earlier.
Todd Monken’s Ravens Departure Followed Questions About Lamar Jackson and the Offense
Monken’s tenure in Baltimore included some of the most productive individual seasons of several Ravens players’ careers.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson and wide receiver Rashod Bateman both posted career-best performances during the coordinator’s tenure.
However, Baltimore’s offense slipped toward the middle of the NFL rankings in 2025.
Anonymous sources also expressed frustration with Monken’s playcalling, while conflicting reports emerged about his relationships with players, particularly Jackson.
Those reports became part of the discussion surrounding his departure from Baltimore.
Despite the attention on Monken’s return as an opposing head coach, Bateman believes Ravens players should concentrate on their performance rather than their former coordinator.
“I think, when you’re a player, you’ve got to make the choice whether you want to make this game about Todd Monken, or do you want to make it about going to play football,” Bateman said, according to Fox Baltimore’s Morgan Adsit.
“I’m pretty sure Todd Monken is not worried about Rashod Bateman, or what he’s doing in Baltimore. He’s worried about getting the Cleveland Browns right to beat us.”
Baltimore will face its former offensive coordinator without Jackson, who has been ruled out for Week 6 because of an ankle injury.
Tyler Huntley will start in Jackson’s place as the Ravens attempt to extend their winning streak to four games.
The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns meet Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in Cleveland.
Ravens Players Aren’t Buying Browns Coach Todd Monken’s Comments Ahead of Emotional Reunion