The Cleveland Browns held one of the most underwhelming quarterback competitions in NFL history this summer, which is a lot to say coming from a team that has had more starting signal-callers since 1999 than any other team in football.
Ultimately, Deshaun Watson got the nod. It was a predictable but dreaded move that didn't sit well with the fans. More importantly, it was the first controversial decision of the Todd Monken era, a tenure that had been met with optimism and hope over its first six months.
That's why even those who would benefit from the Browns' struggles fear for Monken's future.
Baltimore Ravens expert Connor Burke of Ebony Bird recently expressed concerns about how this decision might come back to haunt his team's former offensive coordinator:
"As Monken continues to make his mark in Cleveland, this is the first big question mark about his tenure," wrote Burke. "Browns fans want success, and given the trend of Watson’s career, this doesn’t feel like a great direction to take your team in Year 1. And judging by the reaction, plenty of people are wondering if Monken got this one right."
The Browns' quarterback decision has already put Todd Monken under the microscope
While there are countless reasons to oppose Watson's nod as the starter, the way things unfolded only made everything worse. Monken could have avoided much of this backlash by just ripping off the band-aid early and stating that Watson would get all of the first-team reps right away.
Instead, this just felt like a waste of everyone's time and a slap in the face to Browns fans. Not only did they deprive Watson of crucial first-team reps — which he clearly needs — but the timing of the announcement, which came on Monday, Aug. 24, couldn't have been any worse.
Monken had Watson's back right after he called out the fan base and admitted that he didn't know whether he could handle all the negativity from fans. That presser would have gotten most quarterbacks cut. Instead, Watson got a reward.
Granted, Watson's lead in the race was evident from the jump. This seemingly imminent decision was always an open secret.
Who knows? Maybe this was the right call, and it will all be forgiven. Monken said it best — play well if you don't want to be booed at home.
As for Monken's job security, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the 60-year-old coach signed a five-year contract. The outside noise of him being a potential one-and-done isn't based in reality.
That said, you know things are bad when even divisional rivals are worried about you.
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