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Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is already under fire.

The Cleveland Browns have yet to take their first snap with Todd Monken as their head coach, but he’s already been placed under hot-seat watch.

The Browns hired Monken in January to replace Kevin Stefanski, who was fired after six seasons in Cleveland. Stefanski led the Browns to the playoffs twice and has two Coach of the Year awards on his mantle. Monken has big shoes to fill and expectations are high for the first-time head coach — particularly on offense.

Fox Sports NFL reporter Henry McKenna believes that if Monken’s first season doesn’t go as planned, both he and general manager Andrew Berry could be on the chopping block.

“The Browns can’t really afford to tank, not with GM Andrew Berry and head coach Todd Monken on hot seats,” McKenna said. “Yeah, that’s right, they could both get fired. Monken hasn’t coached a single down yet, but the Browns struggled to attract a top candidate in the 2026 hiring cycle, mainly because of the team’s salary cap issues and quarterback issues — which all tie back to Watson. If they have a strong, young team with a high draft pick in a QB-rich 2027 draft, the Browns could hire a big-name coach or hot coordinator prospect.”

Browns HC Todd Monken Talked With Offensive Rebuild

The Browns held a thorough coach search but saw many of the top candidates pull out or decline interviews. It came down to Monken and former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The Browns ultimately landed on Monken, who was considered a dark-horse candidate and had been widely expected to follow John Harbaugh to New York as the Giants’ offensive coordinator.

Monken comes to Cleveland after spending the past three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, helping Lamar Jackson to his second NFL MVP in 2023. Before Baltimore, he won back-to-back national championships at Georgia and served as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator under Freddie Kitchens in 2019.

Monken has a major rebuild on his hands as he tries to revive the Browns’ offense. The Browns have gone 8-26 over the past two seasons, with the offense at the center of the team’s struggles. Cleveland averaged just 16.4 points and 281.8 total yards per game last season.

Todd Monken Must Solve Browns QB Situation

Monken’s biggest challenge is the quarterback situation. Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and rookie Tayen Green are all on the roster heading into the heart of the offseason. Monken has declined to name a starter, dubbing it an open competition.

“I’m not there yet, so I can’t say (there’s a leader),” Monken said. “We’ve been on the field three days.”

Whoever wins the quarterback job will have more to work on offense thanks to Berry’s work this offseason. Cleveland overhauled its offensive line, acquiring Elgton Jenkins, Tytus Howard, and Zion Johnson before adding draft picks Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, and center Parker Brailsford.

The Browns also addressed depth at receiver, taking KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston to pair with Jerry Jeudy.