Browns

New Browns HC Todd Monken said when he was hired that he is “intrigued” by the possibility of working with QB Deshaun Watson. Monken explained that he’s excited by each of Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel, and will add competition to the position if needed. 

“I’m excited to get started with the guys that we have in the room now, and then looking to add to that possibly,” Monken said, via Mary Kay Cabot. “You’ve got to have a quarterback to give yourself a chance to win in this league. We know that. You also have to have good players around them to really get it going. So I’m excited about Shedeur, Deshaun, Dillon and who else we might add to that in terms of competition to really have this offense take off.”

Monken said he was hired to build an “elite” offense. 

“There’s a reason why I was hired here,” Monken said. “Let’s not kid ourselves. I was hired to become elite on offense and that’s what we’re going to fight every day to be, and I’m fired up because I think we have a chance to really take off. I really do. I think the time is right now to take off and really build it the way you want, so you’re consistently competing for championships.”

Ravens

The Ravens embark on their first season under HC Jesse Minter, following his two years as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. Los Angeles CB Cam Hart called Minter one of the “smartest coaches” he’s ever played for. 

“I honestly believe he is one of the smartest coaches I’ve ever played for. A football maniac. A relationships dude. … They’re getting a great coach,” Hart said, via Jordan Schultz. 

• Minter on newly hired DC Anthony Weaver: “A highly-regarded defensive mind, Anthony Weaver has a proven track record of success and is the definition of what it means to be a Raven.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Minter continued on Weaver: “He elevates players with his football IQ, tactical knowledge and natural teaching ability — all attributes that make him one of the game’s most respected coaches.” (Hensley)
• As for Minter, he finished third on The Athletic‘s list of head coaching hires, with one executive saying the following after giving him a first-place vote: “Jesse Minter is probably the cleanest fit out of all of them, the closeness to the scheme. It feels like they went for a younger version of the coach they had, a mix of John Harbaugh and (former Ravens defensive coordinator and current Super Bowl champion) Mike Macdonald. Jesse is a stud. They were able to rewind it in a very seamless way. They’re minimizing the transition. That’s a really important thing to do when you’re making a hire. That’s an easy one.”
• One coach added, “The best thing about this hire is the continuity of the organization. It’s one of the best, if not the best, overall organizations. Just need to keep defense strong, kicking game elite and figure out getting over the hump with offense.”
• The Ravens are expected to hire Keary Colbert as wide receivers coach. (Matt Zenitz)
• The Ravens are expected to bring in Ben Kotwica as a senior assistant on special teams, who most recently served as the Rams’ interim special teams coach in 2025. (Jeff Zrebiec)

Steelers

When appearing on 103.5 The Buzz, Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw said he heard that Aaron Rodgers told former HC Mike Tomlin that he is committed to returning to Pittsburgh. 

“I have heard, right when the [Mike] McCarthy thing was announced, or before it was announced, I’d already heard that Aaron Rodgers had told Mike, ‘If you want me to come back for a year, I’ll come back and join you,’” Bradshaw said. “I think now, you know what, let’s bring Aaron back. I mean, he knows the offense. They’ll bring in some players. So now I’m going, ‘Okay,’ because I love Mike McCarthy.”