Todd Monken - Head Coach, browns Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-08-08 | Full transcript (primary source).
On August 8, 2026, Todd Monken, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, held a press conference to discuss the team's progress during training camp and the ongoing evaluation of player performance. The session focused on the importance of consistent improvement across all positions and the collective responsibility of the coaching staff and players in achieving team goals.
Transcript
Monken: might end up with a seven on seven might end up where Shawn gets one of those what's what we've been doing but should Earl take the majority of the one reps today.
Monken: When you've gone not just for the quarterbacks but about every position how do you balance them kind of the micro analysis evaluation with with kind of the the bigger picture I mean how does that balance in terms of you know not putting too much on one specific practice or one specific period and kind of looking you know looking more you know period of time.
Monken: well you're exactly right it's not really one play or one practice it's the totality of the days being today being day 10 and and what you really want to see is improvement I mean that's really I mean if our players aren't improving then who are we as coaches really to be honest we're in the development business so if we don't see development well then why aren't we from a coaching standpoint from a system standpoint from a player standpoint what are they doing on their end allow themselves to maximize their measurable skill skill set so we're not done evaluating really anywhere and it's a day-to-day process.
Monken: well it's everybody it's it's it's offense quarterbacks defense system it's all of us when you turn the ball over it's all of us when the defense gives up an explosive play it's all of them we have lost yards plays it's all of us I mean that's a all stats are team stats so we got to do a better job of scheming it executing protecting and throwing it so it's really not one player per se are we excited about the turnovers of course not but that's all you do is you keep practicing and fight to correct it.
Monken: well one was a fantastic play by DMACC you know we got to look up the safety a little bit better but we had him open the interception Dylan the one by Shador just trying to fight fit it into a tight window down the field that that one there and then the other one we got a little push into Sean's face and we overthrew it so again all of them every one of them is gonna have a story right the bottom line is you don't like any of them but it's part of the process part of going through practicing.
Monken: sure eventually you start to drill that down a little bit you want the guys to be aggressive be quarterback controlled take shots down the field ultimately as we get closer to games they know I mean they know they understand in terms of what it does to your team when you turn the ball right in terms of the number one stat of winning and losing they understand that.
Monken: I'm not really gonna comment on injuries I mean you guys can keep trying which I appreciate as soon as he gets cleared we'll have him back to practice I'm hopeful that you know he was back yesterday we're hopeful to have him for a little bit more today.
Monken: sure you'd like to be able to get as many reps as you can but your numbers dictate that with you know Andrew's done a good job of bringing other guys in so we can practice so at the end of the day we got a good amount of two-spot work early so I don't know moving forward if we'll end up that way maybe a little past Kelly just to get some more reps throwing it but for the most part I think we're done with that.
Monken: 100% I mean ultimately sorry to cut you off but basically we went through the first week we're now done with installs have a chance to assess we already talked about it last night and then tomorrow and now we're into game week closest thing we'll have to a game the Bears and so we're starting I will start to put the pieces you know where we think again at that time after another week we'll reassess come Monday but you'll see that on Monday that's something we'll talk about tomorrow.
Monken: I think tonight tomorrow and then Monday we'll start to really focus in on who's gonna start how we're gonna play our guys and where we're at a quarterback's a piece of that.
Monken: oh it's tremendously he's improving his operation his pre-snap post-snap his eyes and his feet working in conjunction being able to check the ball down and getting getting out of his hands he's he's such a playmaker that that's hard for him for a guy that is always looking to make a plays super competitive that is a win try to get super competitive quarterbacks to understand that throwing the ball away and eliminating lost yardage play is a win and that's something that over time he'll continue to build on.
Monken: I mean the collective body of work I mean over the last 10 weeks actually the first game it'll be who we think to start off with gives us the best chance to function score the most points I mean even in a preseason game the the win loss won't matter but how we play is gonna matter to me how we function offensively be the same way with Rudy on defense or Byron on special teams whoever we put out there we want the product to look like you want it to look like so ultimately that will be the start of it.
Monken: what's the next step you have to put some amount on it it's the closest thing where the quarterbacks understand they can get hit I mean no matter how much you're in practice and they feel the rush I mean they're not getting hit I mean that it'll change in a hurry no matter who's out in front of you.
Monken: you know in terms of their understanding of and when you're trying to stack plays it's easier to really evaluate how you do per drive not per play because you just go to the next play right you're moving the football how are we converting you understand the issues with lost yardage plays and turnovers so it's the closest thing we're gonna have is the preseason games.
Monken: I don't know if there's any one in particular I think offensive lines a part of that because I think what you're looking at is probably where you're looking at where you had draft picks right where you're looking at like okay brought these guys in all right where do they fit where are the receivers we drafted fit where do the old line where the alignment fit I know we've been nicked up a little bit where does e-man fit on defense where are we gonna use him right how where does Carson on offense fit along with who's really popped so far in practice give them an opportunity to see if that carries over to games.
Monken: well again it's you have no choice but to cross train it's it's hard because you're trying to with all of your players evaluate what they bring in the table from a physical standpoint and when you move them short-term especially heading into games now you're talking about some of the mental process and are they able to play flat fast so there's a there's a balance there of cross training your guys and still allowing them to play fast and show showcase what they can do.
Monken: when you talk about deciding who's gonna start a quarterback versus bears is that still with it in mind that the other guys gonna start again no that's still in mind that's still in mind we're still on that track of liking to have one start one game and then the other but everything we do subject to change I mean with every position we have on the on the on the field I mean we'll see how it goes today we'll see how it goes Monday we'll see how it goes Tuesday and then we'll put our best foot forward next Saturday night.
Monken: Saturday he did a nice job before the last play escaping yeah he could have said he might have been sacked he escaped and made a throw to Thailand they kept the drive alive and then at the end it's really last play of the game he did a great job of escaping those plays from the 25 are using enough to result in scrambles when they put everybody back there's not a route concept for everybody back it's gonna get in the end zone he did a great job of positioning his feet and giving us a chance his athleticism showed up there.
Monken: I know if there'll be anything that we haven't seen yet it's how do we build off Thursday's day in pads and then yesterday the majority of what we're doing today is carry over the majority of it so how do we carry over the teaching and the learning and then everybody's trying to no one is achieving the majority of our players have not achieved everything they want to achieve in their careers and so everybody has a goal whether it's to be a pro bowler right or be a gold jacket or to be a starter or a rotational player or make the team or be a practice squad player everybody's competing competitive stamina right at some point you know when the guys come back there is no build-up period when they come back in the spring the first two weeks is phase one you don't even get them they work out you come back here it's like you count on the guys being ready to go because you can't waste practice days so we're 10 in this would be like them coming back and being with us so you want to start to see competitive stamina can we have drives where guys have to play on the field for a long period of time so that's what we're looking for today that competitive stamina.
Monken: well there's a lot that goes into that he was a rookie he was very disruptive what helps and that is what is really amazing and this isn't a knock-on there's just a general statement not last year's team but your sack totals are gonna climb the better you play on offense and the more points you score and the more you're winning you know your sack totals are gonna go down when the other teams in four minute there's no other way around it and that's that's the way it goes and it's hard for interior players to get sacks it just is and when the other teams in control the game that's what's so amazing you know when guys do it sack totals when when you're not in that position that's everywhere you're at right or how many opportunities you get in two minutes I anticipate that number to go way up from what I've seen I anticipated to go way up a number of obviously a number of guys out with the injuries but that also opens the door for four opportunities.
Monken: have you seen some guys sort of catch your eye I realize it's so early but have you seen some kind of catch your eye who've taken advantage of that sure I think some of the the guys up front that have had a chance to get in there for Parker got nicked up a little bit he was in there obviously when you're talking about KT at right guard getting in there with Tevin being nicked up a little bit so there's there's in the offensive line that's one when you start talking about defensively some of the inside guys I mean Aiden I mean he is a heck of an interior player could play outside inside he only knows one speed so if some of those guys banged up inside you really see him really pop.
Monken: that's pretty funny wasn't it you ought to see the quarterback camera of that them just arguing they're staring at each other and one saying one thing the other one saying the other it's like I really don't give a s--- fix it I mean come on man we have to stand and argue and how do we fix it there were certain ways we could have fixed that right and it's actually look at now it's funny one funny at the time but it wouldn't be funny in the game but it was funny at the time where one heard one thing one was telling me to another okay teaching moment how do we fix it because it was really easily fixable based on what formation we were in what plays we run out of that what he thought he heard all of those things come into play how do our players fix it.
Monken: does it kind of tie go to the quarterback in terms of argument like that I would say so I would say so that the quarterback makes the final decision right hopefully he's the guy that's in charge right and understands he's an extension of us right so he would understand not always the case but on most cases he would know but Q's a prideful guy so when he's being told your movies that's not what I heard you know in his mind you got to say it more clearly right which it was really cool I mean like I said it's it's a lot more fun now but at the time but I do get it I do get it and I love the way they handled I really do they they handled it great they understand and we're just fighting through that like how do we fix things of what we thought we heard and and what we really need to understand what we're trying to get done.
Monken: thank you all.