The wait is over. After weeks of deliberation and a reportedly overly complex interview process, the Cleveland Browns have finally found their guy. Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is back in town, this time to be Kevin Stefanski's replacement as head coach.
This was a somewhat shocking turn of events. Once again, it reeks of Jimmy Haslam's influence pulling the strings behind closed doors, a situation that, unfortunately, has been way too familiar for Browns fans.
In fact, that may have cost the Browns a shot at the most ideal candidate. Not this year, but in 2024, when they had Mike Vrabel in the building.
Instead, they watched him go and lead the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in just one year.
The Browns let Mike Vrabel leave the building (and it's still haunting them)
The Browns hired Vrabel to serve as their "coaching and personnel consultant" when the Tennessee Titans shockingly fired him. Some fans speculated and even hoped that he would be Stefanski's replacement, should the team go in that direction.
Of course, it didn't make sense to fire Stefanski right away. The team was fresh off a playoff berth with Joe Flacco at the helm, and the head coach had just gotten a contract extension. But then, as the season unfolded and the losses kept mounting, not even having a conversation with Vrabel was a disservice to the organization.
The three-time Super Bowl winner as a player admitted that he would've listened to the Browns if they had offered him the job. That's not to say that he would've chosen him over the Patriots, but the Browns could've had a legitimate shot.
Instead, they doubled down on Stefanski for the 2025 season, won just five games, and fired him anyway. In the meantime, the rest of the league saw Vrabel's Patriots win 14 games in the regular season and march their way to another Super Bowl.
It's always easy to draw conclusions in hindsight, but this felt like a glaring mistake at the time, and has only looked worse with every day that goes by. Vrabel didn't need much time rebuilding the Patriots' winning culture. He's all about accountability, discipline, and hard work, three things the Browns have seemingly lacked for a while now.
Hopefully, Todd Monken will have a similar impact on the team, and those who still wish the team had hired Vrabel instead will look foolish a year from now.
Judging by how things usually fare when Jimmy Haslam gets involved, it's hard to blame those who may not be that optimistic.