The Cleveland Browns have yet to take the field for an official game under new head coach Todd Monken. However, the difference between the start of his tenure and Kevin Stefanski's is already palpable.
Monken has taken a no-nonsense approach from Day 1. He doesn't leave any room for controversy, shutting down narratives right away in his sessions with local reporters. He's also holding every single one of his players accountable.
However, the biggest difference between him and his predecessor became even more obvious in OTAs. As new Browns guard Zion Johnson told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Monken has installed a zero-tolerance policy with penalties.
“He's really emphasized that if we have a penalty out there, we're reloading the play. If you're false starting, you're coming out. So it really forces that accountability onto you where it's like, ‘Okay, I'm coming out today. I got to be locked into the snap count to my technique so I'm not having penalties in practice,’” Johnson said.
Todd Monken wants to fix the Browns' never-ending penalty issues
The Browns struggled with discipline throughout Kevin Stefanski's tenure. There often didn’t seem to be enough accountability, and the team kept making the same pre-snap mistakes and mental miscues over and over.
According to NFL Penalties, the Browns ranked 25th in penalties in 2020, 24th in 2021, 19th in 2022, 28th in 2023, 22nd in 2024, and 12th in 2025. No team can win when it's constantly playing behind the sticks.
Monken and offensive line coach George Warhop are facing a tough challenge. They're putting together an almost entirely new unit, with new faces trying to mesh and develop some rapport before actually playing together. As such, staying disciplined with the snap count will be instrumental.
This might seem minor, but it's actually a major philosophical difference from the Stefanski era. The devil is in the details, and Monken knows that dominating in the trenches will be the best way to hide this team's glaring flaws at quarterback. Moreover, undisciplined football is losing football, and Monken isn't here to mess around.
The Browns added multiple new offensive linemen, most of whom can play multiple positions. That versatility should help keep everybody on their toes, knowing that no one — even Spencer Fano, the No. 9 pick — is safe from losing their job.
Whatever teams do during the week ultimately shows on the field. Monken identified some major flaws in this organization's execution and culture, and even though he'll also make mistakes, he’s clearly determined to change the culture moving forward.
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