As of the Friday before Super Bowl Sunday, Todd Monken and the Cleveland Browns remained in a holding pattern with the defensive side of their coaching staff.
Well, it’s time to get to work — following an outcome the leaders in Berea, Ohio, definitely didn’t want (but had to see coming).
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Jim Schwartz is out as defensive coordinator of the Browns. Despite having term left on his contract, he won’t be joining Monken’s staff after being passed over for the head job by owner Jimmy Haslam and GM Andrew Berry.
It’s a brutal outcome for Cleveland, which just fumbled away its best-case scenario. The Monken hire made a lot of sense, given his history as an offensive guru and the extensive work needed on that side of the football. But the dream of keeping Schwartz in place as the de facto head coach of the defense is gone, and the Browns will now have to work quickly to find his replacement extremely late in this year’s hiring cycle.
The silver lining for Browns fans? The team still has elite defensive talent on the roster, and we can all finally move on from the drama of the past two weeks.
Jim Schwartz exit forces Browns into unwanted Plan B
Schwartz’s displeasure with Celveland’s head-coach decision was well documented, but team leadership had to see this coming.
It was reported that Schwartz’s in-person interview with team brass was as much about discussing a tandem approach with an offensive-minded coach, as it was about his vision for the team following a potential promotion.
It feels highly unlikely that Schwartz pulled the rug out from under the Browns here. The hiring committee had to know this was on the table if the pick was Monken or Nate Scheelhaase, so the group is likely OK with this outcome and has a contingency plan in place.
One logical pivot is safeties coach Ephraim Banda, who received DC interviews with the Jets and Cowboys and would be a seamless fit as Schwartz’s replacement. Monken made it painfully clear during his introductory press conference this week that the Browns’ current defensive system fits the roster and it won’t be changing, so an internal promotion could make sense.
With hopes of keeping the system together for their talented group, the #Browns may look to a couple of assistants on the staff of Jim Schwartz disciple Matt Burke — Dino Vasso and Cory Undlin. https://t.co/pt9i2zoweU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 6, 2026
Monken also made it clear that he didn’t return to Cleveland for Jim Schwartz. His head-on comments immediately won over Browns fans, but they couldn't have helped repair the team’s relationship with Schwartz. Monken drew a line in the sand, and Schwartz took his ball and went home.
Honestly, Cleveland’s better off. If Schwartz would rather submit a letter of resignation and take a year off, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, then he clearly wasn’t all-in on helping the Browns get over the hump. He could’ve continued to coach one of the best defenses in football this season before leaving Cleveland the right way during the next hiring cycle.
This ended up being a poor look all-around, but especially for Schwartz. He’s a football coach, and he’d apparently rather prove a point than do what he loves this year, with players who genuinely want him back. Good riddance.