When John Harbaugh left the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons to take up the New York Giants head coaching job, many believed Monken would be one of the first to follow him. The Ravens led the league in total offense in 2024 under Monken, and finished the season with a franchise record of 7,224 offensive yards. Harbaugh knew what he had, and Monken was almost sold on the idea of joining the Giants. But then the Cleveland Browns called.

“Todd Monken told me he was definitely coming to the Giants as OC and was already studying Jaxon Dart tape and was excited about working with him and continuing to work with John Harbaugh when he got the Browns HC job,” sports journalist Gary Myers reported on X. “He was Ravens OC last 3 yrs. He also said if terms were not right w/Browns on staffing etc., he would have taken Giants job.”

Every head coach wants to build the system they can get the most out of. For Monken, that meant surrounding himself with the right coaching staff. Had the Browns not given him the chance to rebuild the staff, it would have been a deal-breaker that sent Monken to NY. But the Browns agreed.

Tony's Top Prospects For QB For BROWNS

VIEW ALL TONY'S PICKS ON THE BIG BOARD

Among all the notable coaching moves, Monken brought in Baltimore’s offensive assistant coach Banny Breyer and handed him the pass game coordinator mantle. Browns’ offensive quality control coach Ian Kolste also brings a shared Ravens history with Monken. 

John Harbaugh, meanwhile, moved on from Monken and hired Matt Nagy. Nagy spent nine years under Andy Reid across two stints, absorbing his systems. The Kansas City Chiefs ran 142 RPO plays last season, the second-most in the league. Jaxson Dart spent three years running those exact concepts at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin. The schematic fit between Nagy and Dart wasn’t incidental.

Monken was just weeks away from potentially developing Dart this new season. But now, he’s staring at the Browns’ quarterback room, searching for a clear answer.

Todd Monken’s quarterback question

The Browns posted the clip on day one itself: Todd Monken walks in, shakes Shedeur Sanders’ hand, and the two share a laugh about the Ravens’ draft interest in him from last year. It was a small moment that established their working relationship before they took a single rep. But the actual picture of the room, as of the owners’ meeting in Phoenix, is more telling than that video.

While the rest of the roster enjoys the offseason, Sanders has been in the building consistently, working out to make his case. And this drive hasn’t been lost on Monken.

“It’s too early to really evaluate him other than it’s been great that he’s been in the building,” Monken noted. “It’s refreshing to see a player that recognizes where he’s at and where he wants to go.”

While Sanders passes Monken’s initial assessment, Deshaun Watson offers a different narrative. The 30-year-old quarterback spent the entirety of last season sidelined with a re-ruptured Achilles. After his surgery last year, he spent much of the 2025 season training with his personal quarterback coach. He has met with Monken just once so far.

“Deshaun was in early when I got the job, so I got a chance to sit down with him,” Monken said. “He did great. He seemed excited and ready to go. Again, time will tell.”

But when asked whether just one meeting was enough to assess Watson, Monken offered a measured take, combined with a personal anecdote.

“I spoke to him one day. I mean, I dated my wife for five years before we decided to get married,” Monken explained. “So one day’s not enough, but two weeks isn’t enough. Two months isn’t enough. It’s a process. I will just say this: we’re excited to have him. We’re excited to see what he has. He’s part of our roster. Anybody that’s part of our roster, it’s our job as coaches to try and get the most out of him.”

But what about Dillon Gabriel, the quarterback who shared his rookie season with Sanders? According to Monken, Gabriel has kept his distance from the building so far.

“As far as I know, he has not,” Monken said when asked if Gabriel had visited. “I have not seen Dillon yet.”

Monken hasn’t yet outlined a hierarchy among the three QBs. He said he “doesn’t expect the reps to be divided equally.” Whoever earns those reps in practice gets to keep them. Sanders is already in the building every day, which might count towards his favor before a single snap.

Todd Monken passed on the Giants for this. He has a quarterback who shows up daily, one who could cost the franchise $45 million to carry a clipboard, and one the coaching staff hasn’t even seen yet. The Browns’ quarterback competition has started, but it’s already uneven.