Browns Want To Keep Jim Schwartz In Some Capacity; Schwartz Favorite For HC Job?

Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has made it to the next stage of the club’s head coaching search, as he will take a second interview with Cleveland on Monday. Albert Breer of SI.com believes Schwartz will ultimately land the position, and he says the preference within the organization is to keep a talented DC on the staff in some capacity.

That suggests that even if the Browns go in a different direction at HC, they still want to keep Schwartz aboard for what would be a fourth year as defensive coordinator. And given the success he has had in that role, the team’s wish makes plenty of sense.

[RELATED: 2026 HC Search Tracker]

Schwartz, 59, has further cemented his status as one of the league’s top defensive minds during his Browns tenure. His unit ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed in 2023 and fourth in that regard this past season (albeit with a 19th-place finish in 2024 sandwiched in-between). Schwartz has received a number of endorsements from his players, and though Cleveland limped to a 5-12 mark in 2025, the team’s offense was the primary culprit.

That offense – or, more accurately, the unappealing quarterback situation – is one of the reasons why the Browns’ HC post is not as well-regarded as some of the other openings around the league. On the other hand, the Ravens are the only other club that appears to be considering Schwartz for a head coaching role in this year’s cycle, so the Cleveland vacancy may represent his best chance to get back in the HC ranks.

Schwartz has not worked as a head coach since 2013, which marked the end of a five-season run as the Lions’ sideline general. His overall 29-51 record in Detroit is a poor one, though he did lead the then-moribund franchise to a playoff berth in 2011, which was the first time since 1999 the Lions had qualified for the postseason. Schwartz earned a Super Bowl ring as the Eagles’ DC in 2017.

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is also scheduled for a second HC interview with the Browns. That summit is due to take place on Tuesday, one day after Schwartz speaks with team brass for a second time. If he does not land the Cleveland post, Monken is expected to follow John Harbaugh to New York and become the Giants’ OC.

Other offensive-minded candidates are getting additional consideration from the Browns as well. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski has secured a second interview. The same is true of former Dolphins HC and highy-popular candidate Mike McDaniel, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, who reports McDaniel’s second summit is scheduled for Wednesday. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase has also earned another interview request following his Friday meeting. Since LA is still in the playoffs, the date of his in-person sit-down is to be determined.

In light of his accomplishments, it stands to reason that another candidate who gets the Browns’ job would want to keep Schwartz as their DC. It remains to be seen if Schwartz would be amenable to that, or if he would seek a coordinator job elsewhere.

Browns To Conduct Second HC Interviews With Jim Schwartz, Todd Monken

Attention around the NFL will soon turn to the matter of second head coaching interviews. In the case of the Browns, one internal candidate will receive another look.

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is set to interview with the team for a second time, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The follow-up meeting will take place on Monday, she adds. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees also took part in an initial interview with Cleveland, but Cabot adds he is not expected to conduct a follow-up.

Schwartz has further cemented his status as one of the league’s top defensive minds during his Browns tenure. His unit ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed in 2023 and fourth in that capacity this past season. The 59-year-old has received a number of endorsements from Browns players, and given today’s update the possibility remains Schwartz – whose only other interview to date has been with the Ravens – will become Kevin Stefanski‘s successor.

Schwartz served as an NFL head coach from 2009-13. His Lions tenure produced a record of just 29-51, but subsequent success as a D-coordinator has opened the door to interest in a second HC gig. Expectations would no doubt remain high on defense in Cleveland’s case in the event Schwartz were to take over, but it would be interesting to see how his offensive staff would be filled out in such a scenario.

Another target for a second Browns interview has emerged. During an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast (video link), ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported that Todd Monken is expected to speak with Cleveland once again. The current Ravens offensive coordinator has long been mentioned as a strong candidate to follow John Harbaugh to his next destination. That means a Giants hire in Monken’s case is anticipated by many. According to Schrager, however, arrangements are being made for the Browns to conduct a follow-up interview on Tuesday in Monken’s case.

In 2019, Monken served as Cleveland’s OC. That one-year stint was followed by a successful run at Georgia and three seasons in Baltimore (the first two of which were highly productive). Monken, 59, is a candidate to return to the Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator, pending the status of talks with the Giants he is likely to take part in shortly. The possibility of a head coaching opportunity could of course complicate any potential deal with New York.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for Cleveland:

Ravens Request HC Interview With Jim Schwartz

The Ravens have already spoken with Kevin Stefanski about their head coaching vacancy. He is not the only member of the 2025 Browns staff on the team’s radar, however.

Baltimore has submitted an interview request with Jim Schwartz, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Cleveland’s highly-regarded defensive coordinator remains under contract with the team at this point. Schwartz interviewed with the Browns for their own HC position last week, but this marks the first request from an outside suitor.

From 1993-95, Schwartz worked with Cleveland in the personnel department. He was among the personnel who moved to Baltimore when the inaugural edition of the Browns became the Ravens beginning in 1996. Schwartz – a Baltimore native – worked as a defensive assistant with the team for three years. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes he still has several relationships with people inside the Ravens organization.

Over time, Schwartz has become one of the league’s top defensive minds. A defensive coordinator with the Titans (2001-8), Bills (2014), (2016-20) and Browns (2023-present), he has an extensive track record at the NFL level. The 59-year-old also has head coaching experience dating back to his five-year run leading the Lions. That Detroit tenure ended after the 2013 season with an overall record of just 29-51.

Expectations would be much higher the second time around if Schwartz were to take charge of the Ravens, a team seen as one of the top landing spots for HC candidates. Baltimore has been connected to a number of former head coaches while seeking out John Harbaugh‘s replacement. That includes interest in staffers with an offensive and defensive background, even in a year relatively lacking in options who have previously called plays on offense.

Via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is an updated look at the Ravens’ search:

Mutual Interest Between John Harbaugh, Browns For HC Job?

John Harbaugh could end up sticking around the AFC North. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are “definitely doing their diligence” on the former Ravens head coach. Interestingly, that interest may be mutual.

Cabot says that Harbaugh is “believed to have legitimate interest” in the Cleveland job, even with their uncertainty on offense. Besides an opportunity to play his former team twice a year, Cabot notes that there a handful of reasons why Harbaugh could be a logical fit for the organization.

For starters, the coach has deep Cleveland roots. Both John and Jim Harbaugh grew up as Browns fans, and their parents even honeymooned at a Browns game. Both of their parents are Ohio natives, with Jack Harbaugh once playing football at Bowling Green. John Harbaugh, of course, ended up tormenting his favorite childhood team throughout his Baltimore tenure, going 27-8 during his 18 seasons as the Ravens head coach (including a 12-5 record in Cleveland).

Next, Harbaugh also has interest in working alongside a pair of Browns coaches. Cabot says that Harbaugh would consider retaining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and the former Ravens head coach is also a big fan of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. That duo already interviewed for the Browns HC opening this week, and Cabot notes that the franchise would love to keep both of the coaches in some capacity depending on the outcome of their search.

Of course, there are also rumblings that Harbaugh would likely recruit Ravens OC Todd Monken to his next stop, per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com. There have been a handful of reports that Harbaugh’s unwillingness to fire Monken in Baltimore may have contributed to his ouster with the Ravens. Interestingly, the Browns requested a head coach interview with Monken.

To top it all off, Cabot notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admired Harbaugh for many years. As the team embarks on a thorough search for a replacement for Kevin Stefanski, Harbaugh would seemingly be the organization’s main target. Of course, Harbaugh likely leads the list for most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams.

Cleveland’s current list of candidates includes:

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Following a wild-card loss, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are separating after 19 years. Now, after an overtime divisional-round loss in Denver, Sean McDermott is out in Buffalo.

The 10 HC openings are tied with 1978, 1997, 2006 and 2022 for the most in one year. Here are the candidates connected to all those searches. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-9-26 (9:40pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Browns To Hold HC Interviews With Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees; Interview Requested With Bengals’ Dan Pitcher

The Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, but it’s possible his replacement will come from the staff he assembled. The team will conduct head coaching interviews with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

While the Browns will discuss the position with Schwartz and Rees, they’re also hoping to meet with Bengals O-coordinator Dan Pitcher. The Browns have requested an interview with Pitcher, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

The 59-year-old Schwartz is the lone member of this trio with head coaching experience. He spent five years as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-13, though success largely eluded the franchise during that stretch.

The Lions went 10-6 and earned a playoff berth in 2011, but they missed the postseason in every other year under Schwartz. They fired him after he posted a 29-51 record.

A longtime D-coordinator in Tennessee before he moved to Detroit, Schwartz has worked on defensive staffs with the Bills, Eagles, Titans and Browns since 2014. He won Super Bowl LII as the Eagles’ coordinator in 2017. Schwartz has also enjoyed success since heading to Cleveland in 2023.

The Browns finished tops in the league in total defense in Schwartz’s first season, their most recent playoff campaign. Although the team logged a horrid 5-12 record in 2025, its defense ranked fourth in yardage and 14th in points. Defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns’ franchise player, set the single-season sack record in taking down opposing quarterbacks 23 times. Garrett has made it clear that he loves playing for Schwartz, which could better the coach’s chances of a promotion.

Schwartz’s defense held its own in 2025, but the same wasn’t true for Rees’ offense. The unit, which didn’t find an answer at quarterback among Joe Flacco (traded to the Bengals in October), Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, racked up the second-fewest yards and third-fewest points in the league. It’s worth pointing out that Rees did not handle play-calling duties the entire way. Stefanski handed him those responsibilities in early November.

A former Notre Dame quarterback, Rees served in prominent coaching roles with the Fighting Irish from 2017-22. Rees worked as their quarterbacks coach before adding O-coordinator duties to his resume in 2020. He held the same positions in 2023 at Alabama, where he was an assistant to Nick Saban in the legendary head coach’s last season.

Rees jumped to the pros the next season when Stefanski brought him aboard as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach. He was a candidate to become North Carolina’s head coach last offseason, but that job went to Bill Belichick.

While the 33-year-old Rees also interviewed for Penn State’s HC vacancy last month, the Nittany Lions chose Matt Campbell instead. A few weeks later, Rees will garner some consideration at the NFL level.

Pitcher, 38, began his NFL career as a scout with the Colts in 2012. He worked under current Browns general manager Andrew Berry, then the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator, for four years. That may give Pitcher an advantage in the Browns’ Berry-led coaching search.

A coach since 2016, Pitcher has spent a decade on the Bengals’ staff. He began as an offensive assistant before later becoming the Bengals’ QBs coach in 2020, Joe Burrow‘s rookie year. Burrow has been one of the league’s premier signal-callers when healthy, though injuries have been a frequent issue. He was fully healthy in 2024, Pitcher’s first season as offensive coordinator. The Bengals had a top 10 offense then.

Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury in 2025, leaving Pitcher to work with Flacco for a six-start stretch. The Bengals ended the year a respectable 12th in scoring and a slightly below-average 17th in yards.

If Pitcher doesn’t land a head coaching job this offseason, it seems likely he’ll remain in Cincinnati. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that he doesn’t expect to make changes to his staff.

Browns Notes: Schwartz, Stefanski, QB Situation

The Browns’ first decision of the offseason was to fire head coach Kevin Stefanski. The next step will be finding his replacement.

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is an internal candidate, according to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, which is no surprise given his success over the last three years. Owner Jimmy Haslam refused to confirm that Schwartz is a candidate on Monday (via Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand), but admitted he wanted to retain his veteran DC.

The Browns defense has consistently been the team’s stronger side of the ball since Schwartz came aboard in 2023. They ranked first in total defense in his debut season and fourth in 2025; between was a down year that was impacted by a turnover-prone offense. Schwartz’s defenses have never ranked higher than 13th in points allowed, though that can again be partially attributed to the offense consistently losing the field position battle. But his familiarity with the current roster – which is primarily built on defensive cornerstones – is a major factor in his favor.

The Browns’ quarterback situation is, as always, a key part of their long-term planning that goes hand-in-hand with their decision on a new head coach. Despite some potential flashed by Shedeur Sanders this season, Cleveland still seems to be intent on nabbing a top quarterback prospects in one of the next two drafts. That would normally lean a team towards hiring an offensive coordinator for the top job. However, this hiring cycle is considered a weak one for potential offensive-minded head coaches who could groom a young QB.

Cleveland may therefore be better served by promoting Schwartz and adding an up-and-coming offensive assistants to work with the next quarterback. However, Haslam also indicated that he is ultimately open to a head coach with a background on either side of the ball. Their last four hires were offensive-minded coaches, but their lack of success in that stretch could inspire them to break the pattern.

Here is the latest out of Cleveland:

  • Even if they hire a defensive head coach, the Browns will be focusing on improving their offense this offseason. General manager Andrew Berry promised “significant investment” in the unit, per Grossi, with a first-round quarterback no doubt on the table. Cleveland may also need to replace multiple offensive linemen this offseason and could stand to improve their wide receiver corps.
  • Deshaun Watson is expected to be on the roster in 2026, Berry said on Monday (via Grossi). He is still completing his rehab from dual Achilles tears suffered last season. This follows a report indicating the same, with Watson’s onerous contract requiring an untenable dead money number to shed.
  • The Browns will still wait on any potential quarterback moves until they hire a new coach. From there, though, his first priority will likely be figuring out the team’s 2026 starter.
  • Stefanski has no intention of taking time away from football and has immediately thrown his hat in the ring for other head-coaching opportunities, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. He is already expected to interview with the Giants, Titans, and Falcons. He will not, however, take a lesser job with the Buccaneers and reunite with Baker Mayfield, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman.
  • Longtime Browns guard Wyatt Teller is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. The eight-year veteran does not know if his agent has discussed a new deal with the team, according to Easterling. If Cleveland is pursuing another rebuild, they may opt to move on from the 31-year-old lineman in favor of younger players.
  • Though rookie tight end Harold Fannin emerged as an impact pass-catching this season, the Browns are still interested in retaining pending free agent David Njoku. He wants to stay in Cleveland, too, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, but coaching staff changes could change the calculus for either side.

Browns ‘Expected’ To Move On From HC Kevin Stefanski

11:00pm: The growing sentiment around the league is that the Browns moving on from Stefanski is now “expected” to happen, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. NFL insider Jordan Schultz adds that “the league-wide expectation” is that changes are likely in Cleveland, and the “hottest seat” in the building appears to be Stefanski’s. As mentioned below, Schultz claims the unlikely trade route may be attempted here, but if the Browns can’t make that happen, he’s expected to be let go.

1:01pm: Kevin Stefanski is a game away from wrapping up his sixth season in Cleveland. It appears Sunday’s meeting with the Bengals will be Stefanski’s last with the Browns. The team is “leaning toward” making a coaching change, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com passes along similar information.

Meanwhile, backing up a previous report, Russini, Cabot and Albert Breer of SI.com all expect general manager Andrew Berry to keep his job. The Browns have discussed shifting Berry to a president of football operations-type position, per Breer, but that’s unlikely to happen. Regardless, Berry’s “heavily involved” in deciding Stefanski’s fate, Cabot writes.

If Stefanski is indeed on the way out, it’s unclear whether the Browns plan to simply fire him or attempt to pull off a rare trade involving a head coach. Although odds are against it, there’s “smoke” behind a potential trade, an industry source told Conor Orr of SI.com.

[RELATED: Myles Garrett Not Interested In Rebuild]

Considering Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year, someone may be willing to surrender draft compensation for him. At his best, the 43-year-old has guided the Browns to 11 wins and the postseason in two different campaigns (2020 and ’23). However, success has been elusive otherwise.

Unable to find a long-term answer at quarterback, the Browns have gone just 44-56 under Stefanski. They’re a woeful 7-26 since 2024, including 4-12 this year, which could spell doom for their current head coach.

If there’s hope for Stefanski to stay on, it’s that owners Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam are fans, Breer notes. The Haslams also like Stefanski’s working relationship with Berry. If the team cuts the cord on Stefanski, though, it would put Berry in position to make his first head coaching hire. Flashing back to January 2020, the Haslams brought in Stefanski two weeks before Berry left Philadelphia’s front office to become Cleveland’s GM. Berry, previously a Browns executive from 2016-18, is in his second stint with the franchise.

Berry and the Browns have already gathered information on potential replacements for Stefanski, per Russini. Ultimately, they could promote from within and hand the job to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He’d “undoubtedly” emerge as a candidate, according to Cabot.

Schwartz finished an ugly 29-51 as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-13, but he has long been one of the game’s best defensive assistants. The 59-year-old is currently at the helm of the league’s second-ranked defense. The face of the franchise, defensive end Myles Garrett, made it clear on Friday that he wants to win and not rebuild. Garrett also made his affinity for Schwartz known.

“Would I like to play under Jim? Would I like to keep the team and for us to improve? Absolutely,” Garrett said.

A solid relationship with Garrett doesn’t mean the Browns will promote Schwartz, but it should help the coach’s chances of taking over for Stefanski. That’s assuming the Browns wave goodbye to Stefanski, which could happen as early as Sunday.

Browns DC Jim Schwartz Interested In HC Opportunities

The Lions have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in six years. Before this dry spell, which is a relatively short one for the Detroit fans, the Lions made three playoff appearances in six years. That run started with a 2011 season behind then head coach Jim Schwartz, who currently resides as the defensive coordinator for the Browns. Schwartz was fired two years later and has yet to hold a head coaching position since. That doesn’t mean the goal is out of mind for the Cleveland assistant.

In a recent interview, Schwartz made his desires known for the future, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “You always aspire to the top of the profession,” Schwartz told the media, “and I’m not different there.”

Schwartz first achieved that pinnacle of the sport after an extended tenure in Tennessee. After serving three years as a personnel scout in Cleveland and three more as an outside linebackers coach in Baltimore, Schwartz took a defensive assistant position with the Titans and was promoted to linebackers coach a year later. After a year coaching linebackers, he was promoted once again to defensive coordinator, a role he would hold for eight seasons before getting his first head coaching opportunity.

Schwartz faced an extremely difficult task in his first gig, inheriting Rod Marinelli‘s infamous 0-16 2008 Lions squad. Alongside rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford, Schwartz would chip away at what would ultimately end as a 12-year playoff drought, winning two games in his first year and six in his second. Detroit would earn a Wild Card spot with a 10-6 record in Schwartz’s third year before falling to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs. The team would regress in the next two seasons, failing to make the playoffs in either year.

Since then, Schwartz has done nothing but lead top NFL defenses. In his first year post-Detroit, Schwartz led a Bills defense that finished fourth in both points and yards allowed. Two years later Schwartz began the turnaround of one of the league’s worst defensive units in Philadelphia. In only his second year on the job, Schwartz had taken a defense that was bottom-five before his arrival and helped them to finish fourth in points and yards allowed during their 2017 Super Bowl run.

In 2020, Schwartz would resign from his position due to health issues and decided to step away from his usual role as a coordinator, accepting a senior defensive assistant position back in his old home in Tennessee. The Browns hired Schwartz a year ago in hopes that he would be able to take their defense from average to great, and he delivered in a big way. While an unproductive offense at times this year put the defense in bad situations and added points to the board for the other team, Cleveland’s defensive unit has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL by a large margin.

Having delivered in multiple locations, turning around poor defenses in short amounts of time, it’s no surprise now that Schwartz is garnering head coaching interest, once again. And while Schwartz appears to be happy in Cleveland, the lure of leading a team is strong. If the right situation presents itself, we may see Schwartz take a second opportunity to make a name as a head coach in the NFL.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Monken, Ravens

With Jim Schwartz returning to Cleveland after 28 years, then as a scout, now as defensive coordinator, there are some expected changes to how the Browns‘ defense will get things done. Thanks to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, we have a bit of insight into just how things might change in the secondary under Schwartz.

At safety, the team exchanged starter John Johnson III with Juan Thornhill while also bringing in veteran Rodney McLeod, as well. Schwartz brings two interesting factors to the safety position: he likes to play three at one time often and he expects versatility. He doesn’t strictly prescribe to free and strong safety assignments but more often tends to focus on sides of the field. Grant Delpit, Thornhill, and McLeod will be interchangeable and will be asked to line up in many areas.

Versatility will be expected of the cornerbacks, as well, as Schwartz has reportedly been crosstraining all of Cleveland’s defensive backs in the slot. This is welcome news for Greg Newsome II, who reportedly wanted to play more to his strengths on the outside this year. He won’t solely work outside, but with Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson also getting work as nickelbacks this summer, Newsome won’t be asked to shoulder the load in the slot alone.

Here are a few more rumors from around the AFC North:

  • Schwartz is excited to be bringing together two strong pass rushers in Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith on the Browns’ defensive line, according to Cabot. After a year in which Jadeveon Clowney failed to mesh with Garrett, Schwartz is excited about the flexibility that Smith brings to the table. For one, he’s already had the experience of working across from talented pass rushers like Danielle Hunter, Preston Smith, Matt Judon, Terrell Suggs, and Elvis Dumervil. Secondly, Smith provides a versatile attack that allows him to rush from either side, as well as from the interior, when needed.
  • After four years under a huddle-first Greg Roman offense, the Ravens will allow quarterback Lamar Jackson a bit more agency in the offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. According to a report from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, Jackson will be given more freedom to audible and make adjustments at the line this season. This is not completely foreign to the recently extended quarterback. Baltimore experimented with this type of offense in a Week 2 game last year against the Dolphins as a counter to Miami’s pressure package. In that game, Jackson threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns while adding 119 yards and a touchdown on the ground, as well. The Ravens will hope to see more of that in 2023, as Jackson is presented with more opportunities to truly lead the offense.
  • We mentioned about two weeks ago that Ravens second-year tackle Daniel Faalele was a candidate to replace former starting left guard Ben Powers, who departed for Denver in free agency in March. Knowing Faalele’s importance in his current role as one of the team’s primary backup tackles, we boiled it down to a battle between Ben Cleveland and John Simpson. A recent report from Hensley, though, claims that head coach John Harbaugh spoke highly of Faalele at the position and refused to rule him out as a potential starter. He praised Simpson’s performance in the position, as well, but it may be time to start considering Faalele as one of the top candidates to start next year.
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