Todd Monken goes with weekly captains over season-long ones; Deshaun Watson among 5 for opener vs. Jaguars

BEREA — Life in the NFL requires a week-to-week approach. Todd Monken has applied that philosophy to naming captains. The first-time NFL head coach said Monday he'll have weekly captains this season as opposed to season-long ones. Coaches around the league vary. After a life at tackle, rookie Austin Barber proves quick study at guard Advertisement 'I just like it that way,' Monken said. 'We have a fairly young team. I'm not ready to name guys that are permanent for us. I do think it's cool for players to go out for the coin toss. I think it's really cool. 'I think most teams have more leaders than just four or five guys. I just believe that. I believe that with each game you reward guys for the week that they've had, and that's what we're going to do.' Monken chose five captains for Week 1, as the Browns open the season Sunday in Jacksonville. The offensive captains are quarterback Deshaun Watson and left guard Zion Johnson, the defensive captains are cornerback Tyson Campbell and defensive tackle Mason Graham and the special teams representative is long snapper Rex Sunahara. The coaches will pick the weekly captains. 'And then at the end of the year, the players will vote on the permanent 2026 captains,' Monken said. Spencer Fano's climb to No. 9 pick started with dad-demanded footwork drills when he was 6 One reason to go a week at a time is the quarterback situation. The starter is nearly always chosen as a season captain, but Watson isn't popular with the fan base and could be replaced as early as Week 3 if he struggles in the two-game Florida road trip to start the season. Watson spent the early part of his career with the Texans, who are in the AFC South with the Jaguars. He's 7-1 against Jacksonville, completing 63.8 percent for 1,661 yards, eight touchdowns, three interceptions, 21 sacks and 91.3 passer rating. Monken picked Watson over Shedeur Sanders for Week 1 because he said Watson gives the team the best chance to win. He said the success vs. the Jaguars wasn't a factor. 'Then when I heard it afterwards, I felt a little bit better about it,' Monken said. KC Concepcion proves he can handle variety of roles, earns trust of coaches Johnson was a key free agent acquisition and stepped into the spot occupied for the last decade-plus by Joel Bitonio. Campbell and Graham are linked to the Jaguars. Campbell was the No. 33 pick of the Jaguars in 2021 and started 59 games before being traded to the Browns during last season. This will be the first time facing his former team. 'I haven't thought about it much, but when that time comes, I'll probably think about it and it's going to be fun,' Campbell said last week. 'It's a great way to start off the season, Week 1. Just want to put our culture and our physicality on tape and what we're about.' Graham was drafted by the Browns at No. 5 in 2025 after a blockbuster trade that sent the No. 2 pick to the Jaguars, who used it on cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter. The Browns got Graham, a second-round pick spent on running back Quinshon Judkins and a 2026 first-round pick that turned into receiver KC Concepcion. Monken recently called Graham an 'ascending player.' Hunter sustained a season-ending knee injury in October, finishing with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown. He had three passes defensed. He's expected to start at cornerback this season and play in certain packages and situations at receiver.