After being passed over for the vacant head coaching role in Cleveland, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has announced he is parting ways with the team.
According to initial reports, Schwartz appears likely to sit out the 2026 NFL season as he is technically still under team control for another year. The 59 year old was one of the finalists for the position previously held by Kevin Stefanski before the team landed on former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
“We’d like to thank Jim for his contributions to our organization over the last three seasons,” the Browns said in a statement. “Our search for a new defensive coordinator will begin immediately.”
Since 2023, Cleveland has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL to opponents, a feat which is largely attributed to Schwartz’s defensive schemes. In his system, Myles Garrett has also taken home 2 of the last 3 defensive player of the year awards, and broke the single season sack record this year.
A former head coach in Detroit between 2009-2013, Schwartz appears to be preparing for the next hiring cycle in 2026 as opposed to looking to latch on as a coordinator with another NFL team this season. Over the course of his coaching career, the former Georgetown linebacker has spent time with the Ravens, Titans, Lions, Bills, Eagles, and Browns in a variety of roles.
For his part, Monken says his expectation is that the team will run a similar defensive scheme regardless of who ultimately ends up in the DC role in 2026.
“We’re still going to let them attack; we’re still going to let them play free. I can’t see any other way. They’re a big reason why I took this job, the defensive players,” Monken said. “When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn’t trying to chip Jim Schwartz, I was chipping Myles Garrett. And when I was sliding a protection to the outside backers or Grant Delpit that were blitzing off the edge, I was sliding the protection of the players. And when I was worried about throwing to the right against Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell to the left, that’s who I was worried about throwing at.”
The Browns will cast a wide net to replace Schwartz in Cleveland, but could also go with an internal promotion to keep their continuity in tact.
Cleveland owns the 6th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, though it remains to be seen whether that selection will address the offensive or defensive side of the football.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.