The major concern for the Cleveland Browns as they embark on the Todd Monken era, the one that will remain a concern even after the controversy around snubbed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz settles down, is that Monken’s time as the offensive coordinator with the Ravens did not end gracefully. With rookie Shedeur Sanders currently No. 1 on the Browns’ depth chart, the coach-QB relationship figures to be crucial.
Monken’s offense was No. 4 in the NFL in points and No. 6 in yards in 2023 and spiked to first in both categories in 2024. But with injuries walloping Baltimore this season, it dropped to 16th in yards and 11th in points. The offense also had its playoff struggles, but that’s not quite the Browns’ concern yet.
The concern is that there were reports in Baltimore about Monken’s relationship with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, and while Monken pushed back against the notion that the two had a poor relationship, he admitted it could have been better. “I didn’t coach Lamar well enough,” Monken said last month on “The Ryan Ripken Show.” “I didn’t have as good of a relationship as I could have.”
Browns’ Todd Monken Was Close With Georgia QB
The worry for the Browns is that if Monken went three years in Baltimore without forging a close relationship with his quarterback, what does that mean for him as the head coach of a team that desperately needs some TLC for its next QB? If that turns out to be Shedeur Sanders in a reboot in 2026, it’s essential that Monken figure out how to bring Sanders along.
But Patriots rookie guard Jared Wilson offers some hope. Though Monken and Jackson did not exactly link up at all times, Wilson said he saw a different side of Monken while both were at the University of Georgia, where Monken was Kirby Smart’s offensive coordinator. That team won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2021 and 2022, and Monken was especially tight with quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Said Wilson, via reporter Nick Pedone: “Coach Monken—I love Monk. He’s a very special guy, he’s a different guy. He’s intense, very intense, but he’s a great leader. A great leader of men and a great coach. I thank him for helping me get to this point. … I just remember the relationship that him and Stet had. They were really close. And we all got to the big game that year and won it. So it was good.”
Shedeur Sanders: ‘He Has a Great Vibe’
Now, of course, the next step is for Monken and Sanders to form that bond with the Browns, and the two have already begun that work. They’ve been in contact, and though there is no guarantee that Monken will tab Sanders as the starter next season, Sanders said he is already getting a good “vibe” from Monken.
“It’s truly great that he was able to coach Lamar and he was able to accomplish everything he was able to accomplish in his life and his career,” Sanders said. “I feel like we definitely have a connection just from talking to him, just seeing his vibe. He has a great vibe about him.”
Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Gets Good Todd Monken News From Ex-Champ