{
  "id": 4979064,
  "title": "Todd Monken hasn't watched much past film from Deshaun Watson",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/todd-monken-hasnt-watched-much-past-film-from-deshaun-watson",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-02T00:53:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/todd-monken-hasnt-watched-much-005350910.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Browns head coach Todd Monken faced a critical decision when selecting Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback. Monken revealed that he hadn't examined Watson's past performance extensively. \"To be honest, I haven't looked at it,\" Monken stated to reporters. \"I've only seen it from afar.\" Monken emphasized his focus on the present, stating, \"What I see, right?\" He maintained an optimistic stance, believing in the potential of every player, regardless of their background. Monken expressed his expectations, saying, \"I want to go into it thinking every player we have is elite, and all they have to do is prove me right.\" Although Monken didn't mention his past interactions with Watson, Watson's performance history was largely irrelevant. Monken highlighted that the team would focus on current strategies, disregarding Watson's performances from 2017 to 2020, and concentrating on what would work best with the 30-year-old Watson.",
  "summary": "Browns coach Todd Monken had a big decision to make at quarterback.",
  "key_points": [
    "Todd Monken hadn't reviewed Deshaun Watson's past film extensively.",
    "Monken focused on the present, believing in every player's potential.",
    "Watson's performance history from 2017-2020 was deemed irrelevant."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Monken's approach signals a break from evaluating players based on past performance, instead focusing on their potential and current abilities to shape team strategy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Todd Monken Doesn’t Care He Upset Browns Fans With Deshaun Watson Decision",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/todd-monken-doesnt-care-he-upset-browns-fans-with-deshaun-watson",
        "published": "2026-09-02T03:50:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}