Shortly after the Browns fired Kevin Stefanski, it became clear Jim Schwartz was interested in replacing him as head coach. The veteran defensive coordinator was among the candidates to conduct a second interview with Cleveland.
Schwartz seemed to be in the lead regarding the Browns’ HC search at points during the process, and the team’s preference was to keep him in the organization in one capacity or another. In the end, though, Todd Monken wound up being hired as the new head coach. The former Ravens OC’s arrival led to Schwartz eyeing a departure, and he resigned in early February.
“Anybody that’s in any business, you get passed over for promotion when you’ve done a really, really good job in your job, and you think you were in line for that promotion, it’s time to go,” Schwartz said when reflecting on his decision during an appearance on the “Ryan Ripken Show” (h/t Matt Moret of The Athletic). “I mean, a forced marriage isn’t going to work in the NFL… And I didn’t feel like I could do my job after getting passed over for the head coaching job.”
Upon arrival in Cleveland, Monken was noncommittal on the topic of retaining Schwartz. The veteran defensive mind had been in place with the Browns since 2023. Cleveland posted a top-four finish in points allowed twice in that span, but that was not enough for Schwartz to get the nod for what would have been a second NFL head coaching opportunity. The 60-year-old is set to spend 2026 out of coaching before a potential return elsewhere next season.
Schwartz added it “wouldn’t have been good” for himself or Monken to have him remain in place for the coming campaign. The possibility of split loyalties to the head coach and defensive coordinator among players was mentioned by Schwartz as something worth avoiding when speaking about his decision. His presence (and now absence) certainty had an impact, as Schwartz’s resignation was a factor in Myles Garrett‘s decision to waive his no-trade clause and facilitate his recent move to the Rams.
Monken wound up hiring former Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for the DC position. 2026 will mark his first stint as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels, and he will be tasked with maintaining a high level of play leading a defense which no longer has Garrett in the fold. When it comes to the 2027 hiring cycle, meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how strong Schwartz’s market winds up being.
I can’t really blame him. That team would be nothing without his defense. It was the only reason any part of their team wasn’t a laughingstock and that Cleveland was talked about as anything other than a complete dumpster fire.
Year after year under Schwartz, the national conversation was that Cleveland’s defense was good enough to keep them in games if their offense could actually do something for a change.