Giants HC John Harbaugh makes big admission about Browns hiring Todd Monken

As recently as earlier this week, it seemed inevitable that Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken would follow recently hired New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh to the NFC East franchise.

However, Harbaugh's plans changed when the Cleveland Browns surprisingly hired Monken as their new head coach. 

For an article published on Friday, Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com spoke with Harbaugh about losing Monken to the Browns. 

John Harbaugh tried to talk Todd Monken out of going to the Browns?

"I tried to talk him out of it," Harbaugh said about Monken going to Cleveland. "That’s my job, right? I really thought he was coming with us. But, Cleveland was in there all along, and he had been there before in 2019 as the offensive coordinator, so they knew him, and he wanted this opportunity. He got it, and I’m happy for him. I’m really kind of proud of him, but we’ve got to go to work."

Harbaugh brought Monken to the Ravens in 2023, and quarterback Lamar Jackson then earned the second regular-season Most Valuable Player Award of his career in his first campaign with Monken as his OC. Like Jackson, Giants starter and 2025 first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart is known for making plays with his legs as a dual-threat quarterback. Dart will now have to continue his development with a different OC.

What John Harbaugh wants in an offensive coordinator

Monken's relocation to Cleveland left the Giants scrambling for an offensive play-caller who will be tasked with helping Dart improve later this year. Denver Broncos passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who previously played for the Giants, is believed to be on Harbaugh's list of candidates for the job.

"You have to be unrelenting about chasing all the self-evident truths of football," Harbaugh said about the traits he wants in an OC. "But at this level, that’s there for most of these guys, and if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be talking to them. Todd was great at all that stuff. But then it’s, 'OK, what is your scheme and vision? How do you want to build an offense?' Whatever that is, what are the areas that he’s really good at game-planning and creating, and then, how do you put a staff around him that enhances those things but also fills in the areas he’s not as good at."

It sounds like Monken is Harbaugh's ideal OC, but the Giants will have to settle for a different assistant who hasn't yet landed a desired job this winter.