With Myles Garrett no longer in the building, the quickest and easiest assumption would be that the Cleveland Browns are essentially punting on 2026. This was probably going to be a bit of a gap year anyway, but the trade all but killed whatever hope the more optimistic fans and analysts had for a winning season.
There's a difference between losing games while trying to win and develop young talent, and tanking by design. The first often happens to rebuilding teams on the rise with a new regime, while the latter is just a means to an end.
Todd Monken appears to be having none of that. As shared by The Athletic's Zac Jackson, the Browns' new head coach likes his chances in 2026 as much without Garrett as he did when he was on the team.
"We are a very talented football team. We are. We are a talented team on both sides of the ball," said Monken.
Despite the Myles Garrett trade, Cleveland's new coach believes the Browns have enough young talent to compete
Opposing fan bases and casual fans may not agree with the Browns' coach, but he was spot on. In terms of talent under the age of 25, the Browns might be one of the richest teams in football right now. They just need to develop their young players, and that process has already started.
In just two years, this team has added Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Harold Fannin Jr., and Quinshon Judkins to the offense. If Shedeur Sanders pans out, they'll also have their franchise quarterback.
On defense, they added Carson Schwesinger — the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Mason Graham, and now Jared Verse — all while keeping Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. The talent is there. That part is undeniable.
Granted, young teams have to go through some growing pains. As impressive as the rookies were last season, the Browns still struggled to win just five games. But that (surprise, surprise) was with Myles Garrett setting a record for the most sacks in a single season. He had one of the single greatest individual campaigns by any defensive player in NFL history, yet it didn't move the needle for the team's overall results.
That's not to say that the Browns will be better off without Garrett. There's just no universe in which a team is better after losing one of the best players of a generation. However, that doesn't mean it's the end of the world or that they won't be better off in the long run.
The Browns don't need to tank in 2026. They hold two first-round picks next year, so they can work the board or package them to move up if needed. The 2027 class is stacked at quarterback, the team's Achilles heel, so they should be able to get one of their guys regardless of how they fare this season.
Monken arrived in Berea with a purpose: to build a winning culture in Cleveland. You don't do that by just waiving the white flag and losing games for draft positioning. Garrett might be gone, but Monken's vision remains unchanged.
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