It was mostly laughed off as an anomaly at the time, but Todd Monken’s message to Mike Tomlin and the longstanding “Browns is the Browns” punchline back in Week 2 continues to speak volumes.
“The Browns are gonna Browns? F— that! OK? The guys took that to heart," Monken said before walking off the podium.
No one’s laughing anymore. Monken’s Cleveland Browns have won four of their last five games and sit atop their AFC North standings. Their last three wins — home against Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore — have been impressive; those teams enter Week 7 with a combined 11-6 record.
The Browns are functioning like a winning outfit, in a season that saw them trade away their best player in Myles Garrett and lean heavily into a youth movement. Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Cleveland has had 2,802 total snaps played from their 2025 and 2026 draft picks this season, which ranks behind only the Miami Dolphins (3,348).
But there’s a clear difference. The Dolphins are currently 0-5 and trending toward the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. The Browns are 4-2 and opened as a road favorite against the struggling Tennessee Titans this week.
Cleveland’s wealth of young talent has been a local storyline. Now a third of the way through the regular season, it’s becoming a national one.
Oyefusi and national NFL insider Cameron Wolfe shared a quote from an NFL executive this week that shows a clear shift in tone towards the Browns and what they’re building.
"Everybody obsesses about QB, but it absolutely matters what environment you place a quarterback in. Look at the Browns, young team, looks like two straight strong drafts," the AFC assistant general manager told ESPN. "If they keep developing that talent next year, we're going to say that's a real good environment for a young QB."
Cleveland's young core is finally giving the rest of the NFL a reason to believe
Really, that’s an Andrew Berry quote. The general manager who owner Jimmy Haslam decided to keep after firing former head coach Kevin Stefanski has proven to have the right vision for Cleveland’s future.
The team’s top 2025 draft picks — defensive tackle Mason Graham, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running back Quinshon Judkins, and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. — already look like franchise pillars. This year’s rookie class, led by left tackle Spencer Fano, wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and right guard Austin Barber have been filling full-time roles out of the gate; second-round safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, meanwhile, has seen his role grow on defense by the week.
The shift in perception has been as striking as the team’s play on the field through the first six games. In Week 1, Tomlin was roasting his former division rivals after an uncompetitive loss to the Jaguars. Earlier this week, Cleveland native Jason Kelce went on a passionate rant about the Browns being back on the Monday Night Football pregame show.
Cleveland native @JasonKelce had a lot to get off his chest after the Browns' 4-2 start 😭 pic.twitter.com/UNHxQDUcT1
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 19, 2026
There’s still a lot of football left to play in 2026. But for a young Browns roster that’s learning how to win and holds 11 total draft picks for 2027 — including two in the first round — the future is extremely bright.
It’s a fun development for Browns fans that people are starting to notice.
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