If there's one thing about following the Cleveland Browns, it's that it's never boring. It can be frustrating, infuriating, heartbreaking — but there's not a dull moment when it comes to Jimmy Haslam's team.
Just when it seemed like things would be different and there was a beacon of hope on the horizon, the Browns, well, reminded us all why they're the Browns. Head coach Todd Monken confirmed that Deshaun Watson would start in Week 1, just hours after the veteran quarterback called out his own team's fan base.
As the face of the team, Monken is now facing all of the backlash for a decision that may not have even come from him to begin with.
In fact, as much as he claimed there would be a quarterback competition, the decision to start Watson may have been made before he was even hired.
Todd Monken may have never stood a chance against Jimmy Haslam
Those who have followed the Browns long enough are well aware of Jimmy Haslam's meddling and micromanaging. He often has the final say, and everyone else in the front office and coaching staff just has to deal with it.
This is pure speculation, but it might be why younger candidates like Grant Udinski and Nate Scheelhaase chose to stay with their respective organizations.
Monken? He never really had a choice.
Widely recognized as one of the best offensive coordinators in the game, and with a strong resume both in college and the pros, he had to wait until basically his 60th birthday to finally get his shot at becoming an NFL head coach.
Maybe Monken legitimately thought Watson wasn't done. Maybe he trusted his gut and offensive expertise so much that he really talked himself into thinking Watson could be fixed. Perhaps it was the only way to get in Haslam's good graces and buy himself some time before getting a quarterback to develop.
Haslam has often run his teams on a simple premise: "My money, my call." Also a part owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, he moved on from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Garrett in a single offseason and was reportedly heavily involved in both decisions.
He's clearly well-versed in the art of making money, but maybe he should leave the football decisions to the executives he's paying top dollar to, well, make those calls. Otherwise, he'll continue to be this team's primary issue, regardless of who's there as the head coach, general manager, or quarterback.
Why would two young and ascending coaches want to deal with any of this? Why would they want to be associated with this level of dysfunction? Not to disrespect Monken — who, again, is an elite offensive coordinator by every measure — but what if the Browns had to settle instead of going after the guy they wanted?
Monken deserves the benefit of the doubt because he hasn't even coached an official game. Ironically, his body of work also makes it impossible for fans to believe that he actually thinks Deshaun Watson is the best choice at quarterback. There might not be a data point or training camp rep to justify that decision.
But even if he didn't make the call, even if it was never his call to make, this will ultimately fall on him. He'll be the one getting fired and with a big stain on his resume. He'd be the one who, perhaps undeservingly, may never get another shot.
Hopefully, we're all wrong and Monken knows what he's doing. All fans wish to be wrong and that Watson can truly lead this team.
But, for now, it looks like all the head coaching candidates who didn't get the nod actually dodged a huge bullet.
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