Todd Monken basically had to wait until his 60th birthday to finally get a head coaching opportunity in the National Football League. Four weeks into his first season, he's making plenty of decision-makers look foolish for not hiring him sooner.
The Cleveland Browns are 3-1 with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. The veteran, just like the offense as a whole, has gotten better with each week, and while the offense has been far from perfect, the Browns sit atop the competitive AFC North division entering Week 5.
That's why even oddsmakers are starting to look Cleveland's way.
After his impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, one sportsbook now lists Monken dead even with Klint Kubiak and Ben Johnson to win 2026 NFL Coach of the Year.
Todd Monken is quickly proving his vision for the Browns wasn't so crazy after all
Monken currently has +550 odds to take the award home, per BetOnline. Kubiak (Las Vegas Raiders) and Johnson (Chicago Bears) had the same odds as of Friday afternoon, with Jesse Minter (Baltimore Ravens) and Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints) joining them inside the top five.
Of course, this is pretty much meaningless in early October, but it goes to show just how quickly Monken has flipped the narrative. He drew tons of backlash and criticism— especially from Browns fans — when he named Watson the starter, but time is proving him right.
Monken wasn't many fans' first choice for the position, but he won them over right away. The head coach's energy and no-nonsense, brutally honest approach hit like a cold beer on a hot summer day after five years of Kevin Stefanski's non-answers at the podium.
Monken has been hard on the players at times but has also proven to be a players' coach. And after all the backlash, and potentially losing all credibility after the decision to start Watson, vibes in the locker room are probably the highest they've been in decades.
That said, we also saw Stefanski win this same award twice in his five years with the organization, so there's that. In the words of the late, great Kobe Bryant, the job's not finished. Monken will be the first to shut down any and all questions regarding this distinction, especially in Week 5.
The Browns must keep working. More attention doesn't necessarily help, and everyone will be waiting for their downfall and for the "Browns to be Browns."
This team might not be ready to go all the way, and not even the most optimistic fan ever felt that way entering 2026. But for the first time in ages, it feels like the Browns are trending in the right direction and that every player in the locker room has a coach whose message is resonating.
Monken is building a winning culture in Cleveland, and that's worth more than any award.
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