Todd Monken downplays Mike Tomlin’s “Browns being Browns” jab after Week 1 loss

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken responded to a televised jab from former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin with a measured — and somewhat reluctant — defense of his franchise on Monday.

Tomlin, now working as an analyst for Comcast‘s NBC Sports coverage, quipped during Sunday night’s broadcast that “Browns is the Browns,” a remark aimed at Cleveland after the team opened its 2026 season with a lopsided loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When asked about the comment, Monken suggested that Tomlin’s new television role shaped the tone of the remark. “Everybody’s afforded their opinions. That’s what you do when you go from coaching to television,” Monken said, per a report from Ari Meirov. “It’s one week. That’s not Browns being Browns; that’s Browns playing poorly for one week.”

The exchange comes amid an uncomfortable start to the season for Cleveland, which not only lost the opener but also faced renewed questions about quarterback Deshaun Watson after another rough outing. Monken nonetheless stood behind Watson as the starter heading into Week 2, a stance that has drawn criticism from parts of the team’s fanbase.

The context behind Tomlin’s quip is hard to ignore. Across his 19 seasons coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin posted a 28-9-1 record against Cleveland — one of the most lopsided head-to-head marks between division rivals in the modern NFL. Cleveland, meanwhile, has gone 8-27 over its last 35 games, extending a stretch of futility that has made the franchise a frequent target for league-wide mockery.

The moment also illustrates how NFL broadcasting has become a stage for former coaches to weigh in on their old rivals. Tomlin’s transition from the Steelers’ sideline to an NBC studio role — under the umbrella of media giant Comcast, whose shares closed at $24.52 on Monday, down 1.37% from a previous close of $24.86 and valuing the company at roughly $92.5 billion — gives him a weekly national platform that sideline coaches never had.

For Monken, the task now is keeping his locker room focused beyond the noise. His framing — one bad week rather than a franchise identity — is the message he’ll carry into Week 2 as Cleveland tries to reset its season before the narrative hardens.

What to watch

• Cleveland’s Week 2 performance, particularly how the offense and Watson respond after the opener.
• Whether Monken continues to publicly back Watson as the starter.
• NBC’s weekly NFL coverage under Comcast’s media segment, where Tomlin and other former coaches now shape national storylines.

Source: original release