The Browns got a fresh reminder in Week 1 of what might have been if Grant Udinski had stayed in the race.
Udinski drew real interest from Cleveland and even went through a second interview before backing out and taking a raise to remain the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive coordinator. That decision kept him in place for a Jaguars offense that rolled up 360 yards and 34 points, even with the second half played at a slower pace.
For the Browns, that only sharpened the questions that surfaced when Udinski and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase both removed themselves from consideration to keep assistant coaching jobs. The obvious one: was Deshaun Watson starting a non-negotiable part of the deal? If it was, the two coaches may have seen the full picture before signing up.
That doesn’t mean Todd Monken is the wrong hire after one game. Cleveland looked unprepared, Watson was as rough as anyone could have expected, and the opener was ugly. But one week is one week, and it’s too soon to make a final call.
Still, the way the search played out suggests the Browns may not have had much of a choice. It may have come down to Monken or Jim Schwartz, with no one else eager to put the job on their résumé.
Udinski’s 2025 Jaguars offense finished sixth in scoring, and he helped Trevor Lawrence post the best season of his career. Watching that group move the ball in Week 1 gave Cleveland a glimpse of the kind of attack it could have been chasing.
The Jaguars also have a franchise quarterback, which matters a lot. But the Browns can at least make a case that they have the better collection of skill talent. What could Udinski have done with KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, and anyone but Watson at quarterback?
Monken had the kind of track record Cleveland could reasonably want. The Browns may have believed his background as an offensive mind in both college and the pros gave them the best shot. He deserves that benefit of the doubt.
Even so, the first Sunday of the season left a lingering thought: maybe things would look very different with a different coach, or maybe the coaches who walked away were the ones who understood what they were avoiding.
In Other News...
Browns Just Gave Shedeur Sanders A Familiar Boost Behind Watson
The Browns added a familiar face to their practice squad this week, signing wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. after his release from the Carolina Panthers. For Cleveland, it is another low-risk move aimed at adding depth and familiarity around a quarterback room that continues to take shape, and for Shedeur Sanders it brings in a receiver he already knows well from their time together at Colorado.
Horns arrival gives the Browns a chance to keep building chemistry behind the scenes while giving the wideout an opening to prove he can stick. Practice squad additions do not guarantee much, but they can matter in a season when injuries and roster churn can quickly create opportunity, and Cleveland will now get a closer look at whether that old college connection can turn into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watsons Latest Off-Field Issue Is Now Hanging Over The Browns
Deshaun Watsons latest off-field issue is now part of the Browns backdrop as they move through the opening stretch of the season. The quarterback was stopped by Ohio State Highway Patrol on Aug. 26 for driving 86 mph in a 60 mph zone, and he cooperated with the officer before receiving a citation. Watson later pleaded not guilty in Cleveland Municipal Court, with a bench trial set for Sept. 23.
The timing adds another layer of attention around a passer who is already trying to settle in on the field after a rocky opener. In Clevelands season debut, Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, threw a touchdown and an interception, and was sacked five times, then spoke about his performance and his physical condition following earlier injuries. For the Browns, the legal case is now set to linger alongside the football questions. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Thomas Admits How Dark Things Got With Those Browns
Joe Thomas has long been the face of patience through pain in Cleveland, but even he recently revisited just how draining those Browns years could be. In a podcast interview, the Hall of Fame left tackle said there was a moment when he played what he believed was a perfect game, only to walk off after a 30-0 loss to the New England Patriots feeling so overwhelmed that he cried. It was another reminder of what it meant to anchor a team that rarely gave him much help, even while he piled up Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors over an 11-year run.
Thomas also looked back on the bigger picture, saying that by his tenth season he understood the Browns were deep into a rebuild and not close to contending. For a player who endured only one winning season in Cleveland, that realization had to sting, especially for someone who had already given so much to the franchise. Even now, his reflections land with extra weight because they come from one of the most respected players in team history, a lineman whose excellence was often separated from the results around him. [Read more 🡒]