The Cleveland Browns' decision to hire Todd Monken as head coach very possibly cost them retaining Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator.
Roughly a week after Schwartz told coaches he would not remain with the team after being passed up for the top coaching role, Monken stepped up to the podium for his introductory news conference and faced multiple questions over the future of Cleveland's defense.
While he ultimately said it would be inappropriate to comment yet on if Schwartz would return as DC amid the reported tensions, Monken pointed out he coveted the Browns head coaching job for a different reason anyway: the players.
"I said this to the other guys -- I didn't think I'd say it, but I'm gonna say it. When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns [as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator], I wasn't trying to chip Jim Schwartz," Monken said. "I was chipping Myles Garrett. When I was sliding a protection to the outside backers or Grant Delpit that were blitzing off the edge, I was sliding the protection to the players. When I was worried about throwing to the right against Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell to the left, that's who I was worried about throwing at."
Against the backdrop of a disappointing 5-12 season in Cleveland, the bright spot for the Browns was time and again the team's defense, which ranked fourth in yards allowed. The unit finishing 14th in points allowed is somewhat of a mirage, considering how often a toothless offense made life more difficult. Garrett and Ward were both Pro Bowlers, with Garrett also unanimously making first-team All-Pro after breaking the NFL single-season sack record. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger was one of eight players in the league to log over 150 tackles and is the front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Up and down the roster there's a mix of young and veteran talent destructive to offensive game plans. It's why Monken, who did say he's spoken to Schwartz, plans to keep the defensive approach largely the same with or without him in the building.
"My anticipation is we're not gonna change the system," Monken said. "Very difficult to go against. We're not planning on changing the system. We're built for the system that they're in currently. And I'm not gonna get into staffing … but they can be rest assured that we're gonna keep the same system. We're still gonna let them attack, we're still gonna let them play free. I can't see it any other way. They're a big reason why I took this job, the defensive players. I didn't take this job because of Jim Schwartz. I have a lot of respect for Jim Schwartz, as I would hope he has for me, but I took it because of the players that are here, the ownership, Andrew Berry and the ability to build this roster from the ground up on the offensive side."
While the question of exactly who will implement that system remains, team owner Jimmy Haslam, who also spoke Tuesday, is willing to kick that can down the road.
"First of all, I think Todd's made it clear, Andrew's made it clear, I think I made it clear back on Jan. 5, we think the world of coach Schwartz," Haslam said. "I think Jim and Jim's future is a subject for another day."
As for Cleveland's offense, production on that side of the ball has recently cratered.
The Browns finished 31st in scoring in 2025, which was actually an improvement from being dead last in points the season prior.
Despite starting two different quarterbacks that made the Pro Bowl -- Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders -- the most important position in football is very much still a conundrum in Cleveland. Flacco made four starts and went 1-3 before the Browns traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals. Dillon Gabriel went 1-5 in his six starts before giving way to his fellow rookie, Sanders, who went 3-4. None of them completed over 60% of their passes or threw more than seven touchdowns.
Though the offense enjoyed a higher ceiling under Sanders than Gabriel, he also put the ball in jeopardy far more, throwing 10 interceptions to Gabriel's two. Sanders ended the season as the starter, but there's now a new head coach evaluating the situation.
"Well, I think like any position on the team, that's still to be determined," Monken said when asked if Sanders would be QB1 heading into the offseason. "Am I excited about Shedeur? Am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room? Am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can't wait for them to get back for us to get started."
Despite double-dipping at QB in last year's draft, plus still having Deshaun Watson under contract with a massive dead money number should he get cut this offseasn, the Browns exploring all avenues to add yet another signal-caller to the mix would surprise no one.
Even Sanders, speaking Tuesday on Up & Adams, noted it's expected that his role is still to be determined.
Monken, of course, is coming off three years as the Ravens OC working with two-time Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. Whether it's by developing one of the young guns or landing an arm elsewhere, rostering a quarterback whose quality is even near the same zip code as Jackson could transform the Browns under Monken -- especially considering the pieces on defense. For Monken, that starts with identifying a leader who simply has "it."
"I'm just gonna start with personality traits," Monken said regarding what he wants in a QB. "Who's going to lead this team? Who has the it factor? Who has those characteristics that the team wants to follow and believes in them because the ball's in their hands every down? This game's going to come down to two-minute situations, four-minute situations where you've got to able to execute at a high level."
Just like Schwartz is an item for another day and Sanders' place on the depth chart remains TBD, everything is still out in front of the Browns and Monken, a first-time NFL head coach who turns 60 in two days.
There's a ton to figure out for a franchise that's made the playoffs just three times this century, but Monken has conviction in where the Browns are heading.
"Dee and Jimmy, they cut a check with my name on it," he said. "You know what they expect? A frickin' kickass football team, that's what they expect. You know what they want? They want to become a winning franchise that our fan base and our region is proud of. That's all they've been about, how you build a winning franchise that consistently competes for championships. You know what, my job is to prove it every single day."
