Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken abruptly ended Tuesday’s practice after a series of hits crossed the line.
Monken became visibly angry as the session grew increasingly physical. Defensive tackle Adin Huntington knocked running back Quinshon Judkins to the ground during a run play, prompting Monken to send Huntington to the sideline.
That was not the only incident. Benton Whitley made contact with Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback released a pass, while Jared Verse refused to let go of Judkins at the end of a run and knocked his guardian cap askew.
Monken had seen enough and with approximately 15 minutes remaining, he gathered the team for a heated message and ended practice early.
“We’ve had a really two great days of practice. I was really fired up about the way our guys came back after playing Saturday,” Monken said on 92.3 The Fan during his weekly appearance. “And today got a little chippy at the end. It just did.”
His message to the team is simple: “Browns take care of Browns, I’ll just leave it at that.”
Todd Monken Previously Addressed Practice Physicality
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
This was not Monken’s first time addressing a practice hit that went too far. Earlier in training camp, Judkins delivered a hard shot to defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. during a non-padded practice. Hall was vulnerable when Judkins knocked him to the ground.
Monken met with Judkins after the incident and called the hit a “mistake.”
“In the heat of the moment, what happened on the practice field — I’ve met with Quinshon about it — there is a certain amount of regret at the moment when it happens,” Monken said. “We are all human and we do make mistakes. And that’s what I always tell our team. I said, ‘You got to fight to not get hijacked emotionally in a highly emotional game, or all of us, whether it’s in our work or our personal lives.’”
Judkins acknowledged Monken’s message and the importance of keeping teammates safe.
“For me, it was just basically you’ve got to protect the team, got to protect your teammates,” Judkins said. “Even though you guys are out there competing, at the end of the day, we’re not against each other.”
Browns Preparing for Physical Joint Practice With Bills
The Browns will soon have an opportunity to channel some of that pent-up physicality against another team. Cleveland will host the Buffalo Bills for a joint practice on Thursday.
Verse acknowledged that facing a different opponent should allow Cleveland’s defenders to play more freely while still respecting the boundaries of a joint practice.
“When you’re in a joint practice, I don’t really hold back as much,” Verse said. “I’m not going to do anything dirty, but we’re going to play it like it’s a full game. The only person that’s off-limits is the quarterback.”
Monken and Bills coach Joe Brady have agreed to give their starters significant work in the controlled setting, potentially allowing many veteran players to sit out Saturday’s preseason game.
“We both talked about that if we see out of our ones, our group, our older players what we want to see on Thursday, they would not play in the game,” Monken said. “We agreed upon that. The plan is that we’ll play our ones a significant amount against each other on Thursday in a controlled environment. Not that the other guys aren’t going to get reps, but in a controlled environment and see where we’re at.”
The joint practice will also be an important evaluation point in Cleveland’s quarterback competition. Sanders and Deshaun Watson are expected to split first-team reps against Buffalo. Sanders is scheduled to start Saturday’s game, while Watson is slated to play in the third quarter — regardless of how much work the veterans receive Thursday.
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