For Browns fans, the Todd Monken era is already feeling like a frustrating case of déjà vu. While Shedeur Sanders was widely expected to take over the starting quarterback duties, the new head coach’s introductory press conference delivered a cold shower to those expectations. By stating the starting role remains to be determined, Monken has ignited a familiar anxiety in Cleveland: Is he replicating the concerning behaviors of former coach Kevin Stefanski? Emmanuel Acho says yes.

“I do not know if [Todd Monken] can come into the season and be like, ‘Man, we don’t really have a defined role for Shedeur Sanders,’” Acho argued on Speak Easy. “I think you’ve got to come in and say, ‘Shedeur is the guy.’ Now, whether you believe that or not, you say it.”

Acho’s frustration stems from the belief that former HC Stefanski’s inability to define Sanders’ role was a primary reason for his eventual departure. Now he has moved on, and so have the Browns, yet the quarterback room remains in flux.

The former NFL linebacker warned that if Monken continued this “uncertain” strategy regarding the QB1, he could not expect to win over a skeptical city or achieve the results necessary to keep his job.

“If you come in here and do the same thing that Kevin Stefanski did, how can you expect A to win over the fan base, and how can you expect B to get good results?” Acho added.

What makes Monken’s non-committal stance about Sanders’ role even more confusing is his history with the young quarterback. Back in his days in Baltimore, he actually wanted to draft Sanders, impressed by “Shedeur’s skillset” and how he could have been developed. But since Sanders wasn’t ready to sit behind Lamar Jackson, the Ravens moved on from him. 

Nonetheless, the head coach told Sanders that he was “glad it all worked out” when they finally teamed up. Somehow, Monken’s preferences changed, or perhaps it was the same. He planned to develop Sanders in Baltimore behind Jackson, not hand over the team to him in his first year. 

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During his introductory press conference, Monken leaned heavily on the “it” factor rather than just arm talent that he wants in the starting quarterback. 

“When you talk about 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 him because the ball’s in their hand every down?” he described. “This game’s going to come down to two-minute situations, four-minute situations. You’ve got to be able to execute at a high level.”

The Browns have been searching for that steady, productive presence since 1999, and the pressure is now on Monken to prove he’s in the right direction with the quarterback room. Whether the job goes to Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, or even an outside hire, the stakes are clear. 

Interestingly, the quarterback depth chart isn’t the only area where Monken appears to be mirroring the former head coach, Stefanski. Similar to him, Monken will also be calling the plays in 2026. But it’s more of a continuation than drawing inspiration from somewhere. 

Monken used to handle the playcalling during his time with the Ravens; that’s what kept them among the league’s top offenses. If he goes with Sanders as a starter, he can directly tailor the scheme to Sanders’ development, adjusting in real-time to what the young passer sees on the field by calling the plays. 

While of course Sanders is no Jackson, the Monken-led offense does bring promise that the Browns will function at a higher level than the disjointed unit they’ve been for some time. 

Shedeur Sanders is ready for the challenge

Amid the ongoing criticism of Monken’s indecisiveness regarding the starting quarterback role, his young quarterback has surprisingly shown maturity. Sanders’s rookie year was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. He certainly showed promise, such as in Week 14 against the Titans when he had a 300-yard performance. But he crumbled brutally, like his three-interception and 177-yard performance against the Bears. 

In light of those, the 23-year-old knows that he needs to earn the starting role. Every preseason snap in 2026 will be an evaluation of his career trajectory, and he’s ready for the challenge. 

“That’s what’s expected,” Sanders told Kay Adams. “I think each and every day I have to prove to everybody and to myself, also.”

This way, he’s setting and achieving incremental goals with the belief that those small victories will eventually compound into long-term success. For the position, he plans to “focus more in-depth on everything.” Perhaps he’s everything Monken is looking for. He is prepared to earn the job all over again, even as the organizational structure around him begins to shift.