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Browns' Todd Monken explains reason behind missing NFL head coach group photo

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Todd Monken was really looking forward to his first picture day as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, when all 32 coaches were scheduled to appear in Phoenix at the NFL annual league meeting this week.

However, Monken never made it to the group photo, and Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot found out a haircut was to blame.

Monken set up a haircut specifically for the photo Monday, and he believed he timed the situation perfectly, writing in his agenda that the photo was scheduled for noon Pacific time in Phoenix.

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Todd Monken speaks to the media after being introduced as head coach of the Cleveland Browns during a news conference at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus Feb. 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

But when Monken ran into Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, he learned the photo was already taken.

It wasn’t that Monken was late. Instead, a coaches meeting, which he skipped, let out early, and they decided to take the photo with all the coaches assembled. Well, not all the coaches.

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Monken wasn’t the only coach not in the photo, though. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay was also absent from the photo.

While Monken may have missed the picture, he hasn’t missed sharing his thoughts about his quarterback depth chart heading into his first season on the job in Cleveland.

All eyes are on Monken and his staff choosing an eventual starter for the Browns, whether it be veteran Deshaun Watson, who could be on track to return in 2026; Shedeur Sanders; or Dillon Gabriel.

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Dec. 1, 2024. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

With the Browns’ offseason program beginning April 7, Monken was asked if he has a QB1 in mind. While he didn’t name the depth chart order, he did note that the workload won’t be an even split for the quarterbacks who participate.

"I don’t expect the reps to be divided equally," Monken said on Tuesday, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

That would mean Monken does have an order in mind for his quarterbacks, though he noted he wasn’t yet ready to say who sits atop the list. However, Monken said he and the staff will go off "basically what we’ve seen in the past and where the year ended last year."

Todd Monken talks with the media after being introduced as head coach of the Cleveland Browns during a news conference at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus Feb. 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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Based on the three quarterbacks, Sanders would likely have the upper hand. Watson was still recovering from his Achilles injury, and ex-head coach Kevin Stefanski had Sanders start the remaining seven games of the season after Gabriel struggled before suffering an injury.

Sanders’ earned his first win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

But it’s all speculation until the Browns’ program begins next week.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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