The Cleveland Browns are once again betting on offense to pull them out of the wilderness. After firing Kevin Stefanski following another lost season, Cleveland has hired Todd Monken as its next head coach, a move rooted less in splash and more in stability.
For a franchise that has cycled through systems, quarterbacks, and philosophies for nearly two decades, Monken represents something different: a coach who builds the offense around the players he has, not the scheme he prefers.
Why Cleveland Turned to Todd Monken
Monken arrives in Cleveland with one of the more unique résumés in the NFL. He’s coordinated elite passing attacks, engineered dominant rushing offenses, won national championships at the college level, and helped guide MVP-caliber quarterback seasons in the pros.
Most recently, Monken spent three seasons as offensive coordinator in Baltimore, where he helped Lamar Jackson win an MVP and oversaw the best offense in Ravens franchise history. Before that, he was the architect of aggressive, pass-heavy units in Tampa Bay with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Earlier still, he coordinated Cleveland’s offense in 2019 and later led Georgia to back-to-back national titles.
The common thread isn’t style — it’s flexibility.
Cleveland needs that. The Browns have finished last in scoring over the past two seasons, and general manager Andrew Berry has already signaled that the offense will receive “significant investment” this offseason. Monken will have a major voice in quarterback decisions, personnel usage, and overall identity. The Browns decided to go with Monken after Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter, and Grant Udinski withdrew themselves from consideration from the role.
The Quarterback Question (and Why It Matters Most)
Everything in Cleveland starts, and potentially stalls, at quarterback.
Deshaun Watson remains under contract and is expected to be available in 2026, but his Browns tenure has been a disaster both on the field and in availability. Behind him are young passers Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, neither of whom has locked down the job.
Monken’s history suggests he won’t force development through volume. If the quarterback play is unstable, he will protect it, leaning on the run game, tight ends, and play-action rather than asking receivers to win isolation routes every down with the quarterback executing easier reads. We saw Stefanski deploy a similar scheme with Gabriel and Sanders this season, which did not lead to much production on the field. I would fully expect Cleveland to bring in some competition this offseason rather than sticking with the three guys they currently have under contract.
Fantasy Football Impact: What Changes in Cleveland
Run Game: Trending Up
Given Monken’s recent history and Cleveland’s roster makeup, expect a run-first approach. Quinshon Judkins is positioned to benefit immediately from volume and structure. Monken has repeatedly shown he’s comfortable feeding backs heavily when it’s the best path to efficiency. I would expect Dylan Sampson to potentially earn more work in the passing game as well next season.
Tight Ends: Biggest Winner
Monken has consistently featured tight ends at every stop — from Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in Baltimore to layered TE usage in college. Harold Fannin Jr. will look to build upon his strong rookie campaign, where he caught 72 passes for 731 yards and 6 TDs, becoming one of the best tight ends down the stretch. Expect Fannin to be going within the top five tight ends in 2026
Wide Receivers: Volatile by Design
This is where expectations need to be tempered. In Monken-led offenses, receiver production often fluctuates week to week. Players like Jerry Jeudy may have usable stretches, but consistent alpha-level volume is unlikely unless a quarterback clearly elevates the passing game. I am interested to see who the team targets this offseason to add to one of the worst receiver rooms in football.
Quarterback Fantasy Outlook: Capped Until Proven Otherwise
Until Cleveland settles on and develops a real answer at QB, fantasy ceilings remain limited. Monken can raise efficiency, but he’s not going to manufacture high-end QB fantasy numbers without the talent to support it. Unless they upgrade at the position, all three quarterbacks are still off my draft board heading into next season.
The Big Picture
Todd Monken wasn’t hired to save Cleveland overnight. He was hired to stabilize the offense, rebuild its structure, and align production with personnel. For fantasy football, this move signals fewer chaotic game plans and more predictable usage — especially in the run game and at tight end. It also suggests patience will be required at quarterback and wide receiver, where volatility may persist until the Browns find their long-term solution.
