Browns’ Todd Monken Makes Coaching Decision After Kevin Stefanski's Exit

Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com reports that Monken will call the plays this season, similar to what Stefanski did when he coached.

Monken’s decision to call plays himself sends an immediate message inside the Browns’ building: the offense will have a singular voice and identity. Rather than splitting responsibility, Monken is centralizing control, a move that often resonates with quarterbacks but also places accountability squarely on the head coach.

The move carries added weight with Sanders expected to compete for the starting quarterback role. Monken’s reputation is built on maximizing quarterback efficiency and tailoring schemes to personnel, whether at Georgia with Stetson Bennett or in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson. Calling plays himself allows Monken to directly manage Sanders’ development, dictate tempo and adjust in-game without delay, especially important for a young quarterback navigating NFL defenses for the first time.

Looking ahead, Monken’s hands-on approach will be under the microscope immediately once the Browns open training camp this summer. How quickly Sanders (or whoever wins the job) adapts to Monken’s system could shape Cleveland’s offensive ceiling in 2026. With a new coaching staff, a new quarterback direction, and a play-caller with a championship pedigree, the Browns are clearly betting that control, not collaboration, is the fastest path forward.