Emmanuel Acho questions why Shedeur Sanders should listen to Todd Monken as new Browns coach

On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns officially named former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken their next head coach. Monken has never previously been a head coach in the NFL.

Evidently, some people aren’t confident the hire will end with success. On Wednesday’s episode of the Speakeasy show, FS1 analyst Emmanuel Acho questioned why Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders should follow Monken’s leadership.

“Any expectation for Shedeur Sanders under Todd Monken, I believe will lead to disappointment. There is nothing about Todd Monken as a head coach that should get you excited,” Acho said. “As an offensive coordinator, you could say Lamar Jackson had an MVP season under Todd Monken. And, as an offensive coordinator, Lamar Jackson had 41 touchdowns and four interceptions under Todd Monken. As an offensive coordinator, you can make arguments under Todd arguments. Under Todd Monken, Stetson Bennett won two national championships at Georgia.

“But, as a head coach, no, nothing about Todd Monken as a head man gets me excited. … How is Todd Monken going to command that locker room, command that group of men? Also, if I’m Shedeur or anybody in that locker room, why am I listening to Todd Monken? What have you won on an NFL level as a head coach? … I don’t even have expectations for Shedeur under Todd Monken, because I believe any expectations I would have, he would not meet.”

As Acho mentioned, Monken has plenty of success at positions other than head coach. Under Monken’s leadership, the Ravens led the league in yards per game (424.9) and became the first team to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 3,000 in a single season.

At Georgia, Monken engineered two Top 25 offenses en route to back-to-back national titles. While Monken has no head coaching experience in the NFL, he’s not entirely unfamiliar with being at the helm of a team.

In December 2012, Monken was hired as Southern Miss‘ head coach after the team posted an 0-12 record. Monken led the program to a stunning turnaround in just three seasons.

Southern Miss improved its record each season under Monken, culminating in a 9-5 record in 2015. The Golden Eagles appeared in the Conference USA Championship game that year, and Monken was named the conference coach of the year for his efforts.

Despite Acho’s comments, Shedeur Sanders will have no choice but to trust Monken if he hopes to have a successful 2026 campaign. Sanders started the final seven games of the season for the Browns, leading the team to a 3-4 record.