Todd Monken is headed into his first NFL head coaching assignment in the 2026 season with the Cleveland Browns. But one preseason opener game, one underwhelming performance, and suddenly Monken’s future is being questioned as former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert comes in with a prediction.

“Monken will be fired within 2 years,” Benkert wrote on X.

Kurt Benkert’s comments come after Monken’s first NFL preseason game as the head coach against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, August 15. The game began with Monken’s offense executing efficiently to build a 10-0 lead, but the Browns completely collapsed in the final three quarters, allowing 34 unanswered points.

First-round rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion was the brightest spot on the roster. He scored Cleveland’s lone touchdown on an explosive 14-yard reverse run. Other than that, Monken’s team failed to gain momentum during the entire game.

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In total, Chicago racked up 348 passing yards against the Browns and clinched a 34-10 win. Watching the preseason game unfold, Benkert didn’t shy away from sharing his honest opinions about HC Monken’s future with the franchise while also alarming the Browns fans about an underwhelming 2026 season.

“Browns fans, it’s gunna be a LONG year,” Benkert wrote on X.

Todd Monken may be making his NFL debut as a head coach now. But he comes with three years of college football head coaching experience from the University of Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015.

Despite the loss to the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns’ locker room remained calm and aligned with head coach Todd Monken’s perspective. Veteran QB Deshaun Watson, who started the game and led the Browns offense for the first and second quarters, expressed his faith in Monken during a pregame interview:

It’s been amazing,” Watson said. “He’s been great. He kind of reminds me of what I had when I first got drafted in Houston with Bill O’Brien. Very hard, intense, wants perfection, but also very player-led coach. He makes sure that everyone is trying to be the best that they can possibly be, so he always encourages us.

“There’s a lot of quarterback control, and he gives them freedom for us to check certain things. We see certain looks on the defense, just being able to give us different options to make sure we’re in the right play.”

Deshaun Watson compared Todd Monken to his first NFL HC, Bill O’Brien. Following the game, the veteran QB had no complaints about Monken. Instead, he focused on how he felt entering the game after missing the entire 2025 season.

“I felt good, felt excited just to be back on the field,” Watson said. “It was good to just go through pregame, get warmed up, take the field for the first time in I don’t even know how long it has been… Every opportunity I get, I’m just trying to go one step forward. Just trying to improve every day.”

Next up, Todd Monken and the Cleveland Browns will play against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, August 22. Now, it will be interesting to see if Monken can change the perspective on his head coaching prowess.