Pittsburgh Steelers fans didn't get everything they asked for with a new coaching staff. After Mike Tomlin's surprising decision to step down after 19 seasons as the team's head coach, the Steelers were quick to name Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, while adding a handful of coaches with strong McCarthy ties to the Steelers' staff.
But the latest drama surrounding the Cleveland Browns makes the Steelers' coaching situation feel infinitely better.
The Browns recently named Todd Monken as their new head coach. Monken, who had an excellent run as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens from 2023 to 2025, will serve as a first-time head coach at 60 years old for the 2026 season.
Monken is a well-respected coach. Unfortunately, for Browns fans, Monken's hiring caused a bitter outburst from defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was looking to get promoted to the HC job in Cleveland. Schwartz said his goodbyes to the organization after the team went with Monken.
Now Monken just fired a direct shot at Schwartz.
In his first-ever press conference as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Monken's comments struck below the belt. Monken noted that, during his time as OC of the Ravens, his offense wasn't busy chipping Jim Schwartz; they were trying to stop Myles Garrett.
"I didn't take this job because of Jim Schwartz... I took it because of the players that were here—the ownership, Andrew Berry, and the ability to build this roster from the ground up on the offensive side...
I didn't think I'd say it, but I'm going to say it: when I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn't trying to chip Jim Schwartz; I was chipping Myles Garrett.
The Cleveland Browns didn't need added coaching drama for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to be satisfied
Monken went on to say that, when he was sliding protection and when passing, he was worried about players like Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward—reiterating that Schwartz wasn't who he feared.
While he may not be wrong, in a sense, Monken's comments were an unnecessary burn to a long-time NFL mind who has called some brilliant defenses over the years.
Cleveland's new head coach took a rough situation after the reported departure of Schwartz and just added fuel to the fire. While Browns fans have at least some reason to be optimistic about the future of their team after a coaching change, there's no denying that the loss of Jim Schwartz is going to sting, and the added drama was unnecessary.
We don't know exactly how Mike McCarthy and his staff will perform in Pittsburgh, but at least the Steelers aren't dealing with utter coaching chaos before the NFL Combine even kicks off.
Like football fans always say: The Browns are going to 'Brown'. They have a new head coach, yet nothing seems to have changed.