Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken acknowledged that he got ahead of the facts when he linked LSU coach Lane Kiffin directly to Dae’Quan Wright’s unusual return to college football.
Monken previously indicated that Kiffin had contacted the Browns about Wright, who was waived Sunday and intends to join LSU if he clears waivers in an unprecedented move. Kiffin disputed that account, saying he does not know Monken or have his phone number.
Monken accepted responsibility Tuesday, explaining that the information had come secondhand from a member of the Browns’ staff.
“I did. Okay. First off, one of our staff had said, that’s why I said ‘us,’ not me,” Monken said. “One of our staff had said that they’d gotten a text. I should have followed through with it. Maybe they meant someone from their staff, right? That’s on me. I shouldn’t throw someone’s name out there without following through on it.”
Monken said his original comments were intended to highlight the absurdity of an NFL player potentially returning to college, not to accuse Kiffin of wrongdoing.
“I was just making light of it,” Monken said. “I really wasn’t trying to make a big thing of it. It was just like, ‘Man, what this world we’ve come to,’ and I shouldn’t have thrown that out there, right? To me, hey, I can’t control this. It was almost like silliness and goofiness, like, really? This is what we’ve come to, where guys can be here and go back to college?
“It’s really not a big deal, other than I probably shouldn’t have said it without knowing for sure. So it is what it is.”
Lane Kiffin Denied Contacting Browns
GettyHead Coach Lane Kiffin of the LSU Tigers denied contacting the Browns.
Kiffin addressed Monken’s original account Monday, making it clear that he never personally contacted the Browns coach.
“There’s some inaccuracies in that story, but I don’t know,” Kiffin told reporters. “Maybe someone else called him and said they were me. Actually, I don’t know Todd, so I guess somebody left him a text or called and said they were me, but I don’t have his number.”
Monken explained that the Browns did not learn about Wright’s intentions directly from the player. News of the tight end’s potential return to college surfaced on social media while he remained on Cleveland’s roster.
“I knew it when it got on social media. How the hell would I know?” Monken said. “I’ve never had to deal with it. Like who’s had to deal with? Like oh, and that happens in college with everybody. They catch word of something. You have players on your own team like, ‘Catching word from so-and-so that he might be entering the portal.’ It’s just word of mouth.
“They’re not going to come to you and say, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m thinking about going back to college.’ No.”
Dae’Quan Wright Set to Join LSU
The Browns claimed Wright off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles in early August. However, his stay in Cleveland lasted less than two weeks.
Wright entered the transfer portal after a Louisiana judge granted temporary relief to a group of players seeking another season of college eligibility. The Browns then waived him, and his agents told ESPN that he has an agreement to join LSU if he goes unclaimed.
Wright previously played for Kiffin at Ole Miss, catching 40 passes for 545 yards and four touchdowns during the 2025 season. He went undrafted before signing with Philadelphia and later landing in Cleveland.
Monken said he has no issue with Kiffin or LSU capitalizing on Wright’s newly available eligibility.
“It was a weird situation,” Monken said. “He got hurt, he’s going back to college. It is what it is. Good luck to him, he’s a good kid. And they’re going to do a great job at LSU. That’s what they should do. Their job is to get the best players they can to win games.”
Monken and the Browns have one more preseason game remaining against the New England Patriots. Cleveland opens the regular season on August 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 13.
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