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Jim Schwartz has resigned as Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday, after he missed out on his bid to be the head coach.
“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.”
Schwartz, who was passed over for the head coaching job in favor of Todd Monken, is now likely to sit out the 2026 season. He is under contract for one more season with the Browns, who could block any overtures from another team seeking a defensive coordinator.
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Schwartz, 59, was one of the coaching finalists to replace Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland, though, ultimately hired Monken, who served as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. It marked the second time that Schwartz had been passed over for the Browns’ head coaching job; he also came up short in the 2020 cycle that ended with Cleveland hiring Stefanski.
Monken said at his introductory news conference this week that he had spoken with Schwartz, who reportedly told people he was not returning to Cleveland after being passed over for the position, but added that it would be “a little inappropriate for me to comment about that at this time.”
Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam said after Monken’s introductory news conference that conversations with Schwartz were “ongoing.”
Schwartz had led one of the best defenses in the NFL in his three years on the job. Since 2023, Cleveland has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL, and Myles Garrett has been named Defensive Player of the Year twice, taking home the honor Thursday night after breaking the league’s single-season sack record this season.
“I love Jim, and I love playing for him,” Garrett previously said.
As coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2013, Schwartz went 29-51. He had since served on the staffs of the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Browns.
Even with Schwartz’s status up in the air, Monken said at his introductory news conference that he didn’t anticipate changing Cleveland’s defensive scheme. And Haslam said that “by and large” he expected the majority of the Browns’ defensive starters and defensive coaching staff to return for the 2026 season.
