Cleveland, May 6, 2026, 10:21 EDT
New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken is already being cast as a pressure point before his first regular-season game, with Fox Sports analyst Henry McKenna writing this week that Monken and general manager Andrew Berry could both be at risk if 2026 goes wrong. “The Browns can’t really afford to tank,” McKenna wrote, using the term for losing games to improve draft position. FOX Sports
The timing matters. Cleveland is trying to show its latest reset is not another bridge year, while Baltimore, Monken’s former employer and an AFC North rival, has moved to add veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell back to a defense being rebuilt under first-year head coach Jesse Minter.
The Browns named Monken their 19th full-time head coach on Jan. 28 and sold the hire around offense. Cleveland said Baltimore ranked first in rushing yards and third in points per game during Monken’s three years as Ravens coordinator, and Berry said Monken’s track record with different quarterback styles would give the Browns “maximum flexibility” as they make “long-term investments” on offense. Cleveland Browns
That is the job now: fix the quarterback room, fast enough to make the roster credible. Reuters, citing the Plain Dealer, reported last week that Deshaun Watson was ahead of Shedeur Sanders in the Browns’ competition, though Monken had not declared a leader and was aiming for more clarity by the June 9-11 minicamp.
Monken has pushed back on the idea that the race is settled. “I’m not there yet so I can’t say that,” he told 92.3 The Fan when asked about having a starter picked by training camp, adding that three spring practices gave only a “40,000 foot view” of the room. SI
The group is crowded. Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green are all in the mix, and Berry said earlier this offseason that Cleveland did not need to make a quarterback decision “anytime soon.” Green was drafted in the sixth round last week. Fox News
The urgency is not just media noise. Heavy.com noted the Browns have gone 8-26 over the past two seasons and averaged 16.4 points and 281.8 yards per game last season, figures that help explain why Monken’s offense is being judged before September.
Baltimore’s move runs the other way: less reset, more reinforcement. Reuters reported that Campbell, 39, is returning to the Ravens on a one-year deal for his 19th NFL season after recording 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 17 starts for Arizona last season.
Minter sounded ready to use him. “We’ve agreed to terms with Calais,” the Ravens coach said, according to Sports Illustrated, adding that Campbell is “still playing at such an unbelievable level” and can help against both the run and pass. SI
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes said the move could give Baltimore “the best defensive line that Baltimore has fielded in years” if Nnamdi Madubuike returns from injury alongside Travis Jones and Campbell. The Ravens’ site also cited ESPN Analytics in saying Campbell had a 15% pass-rush win rate, a measure of how often a defender beats his blocker quickly on passing plays. Baltimore Ravens
There are risks for Baltimore. Campbell turns 40 on Sept. 1, and Madubuike’s return from neck surgery has been described as encouraging but still not assured by the team. A one-year veteran addition helps depth; it does not erase age or health questions.
For Cleveland, the question is more blunt. Monken was hired because his offenses in Baltimore worked; now he inherits a Browns team whose quarterback decision will shape the season before the first snap. If Watson cannot revive his form, and Sanders does not seize the job, the hot-seat talk around Monken and Berry will look less like May chatter and more like the first line of the season.
