CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Jim Schwartz era in Cleveland is officially over, with the Browns defensive coordinator resigning with two years left on his contract.
The decision comes about a week and a half after Schwartz was passed over for the head coach job in favor of Todd Monken.
Schwartz exits Cleveland after serving as defensive coordinator here for the last three seasons. The Browns moved on from head coach Kevin Stefanski on Jan. 5, and he’s already been introduced as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Browns had three finalists for the position, including Schwartz, Monken and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
On Tuesday in his introductory presser, Monken said the system the Browns play on defense wouldn’t change, even if the man running it did.
“First off, my anticipation is we’re not going to change the system,” Monken said in his presser. “Very difficult to go against. Not planning to change the system. We’re built for the system that they’re in currently, and I’m not going to get into staffing because that’s not at this time to get into that, but they can be rest assured that we’re going to keep the same system, 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.”
The change, however, will still be a big one Cleveland needs to rebound from.
In December, Schwartz spoke with cleveland.com exclusively about how he’s managed to cultivate one of the best defenses in the league over a three-year period (including through two losing seasons), his coaching philosophy, and reiterated his desire to one day be a head coach again.
Here are five takeaways from that original interview:
1. Schwartz was still aspiring to be a head coach again
More than a decade after being fired by the Detroit Lions, the 59-year-old Schwartz confirmed he would “certainly consider” another head coaching opportunity.
“I think in any business you aspire to the top,” he said. “And I’m no different than other people in that way.”
He reflected on his tenure in Detroit (2009-13) with pride, framing it as a successful turnaround despite a 29-51 record. He took over an 0-16 team that was the “laughingstock of the NFL” and led them to a playoff berth in 2011.
He argued that he “flipped the program so much that 7-9 was firable,” viewing his dismissal not as a failure but as a sign that he had successfully raised the organization’s standards. This perspective highlights his enduring competitive drive and confidence in his leadership abilities.
As for what he learned during his last stint?
“I learned that all head coaching jobs aren’t the same and you need a pathway for success,” Schwartz said.
Now, Schwartz will have to wait and see if he’ll get another opportunity elsewhere.
Getting so far along in the process obviously stung Schwartz, who reportedly packed up his office and left CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea angry the day Monken was hired over him.
While cleveland.com reported that he came to team headquarters on Monday to talk to Monken, they reached no meeting of the minds.
2. The Browns defense maintained elite status despite roster churn and a losing record
Despite the Browns’ 5-12 record and significant personnel changes, Schwartz’s defense remained statistically dominant for three seasons.
The unit ranked No. 4 in the NFL in total yards allowed this season (283.6) and is the league’s only defense to average fewer than 300 opponent yards per game since Schwartz took over.
In that three-year span, the Browns are No. 1 in third-down conversion percentage allowed (33.8%), first downs allowed per game (16.5), and tackles for loss (342).
This consistency is even more remarkable considering the roster turnover. The linebacker corps and defensive backfield have been almost completely rebuilt around core players like Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. On the defensive line, the team has focused on developing draft picks like Isaiah McGuire and Alex Wright rather than signing a veteran edge rusher opposite Myles Garrett.
“There’s been a lot more turnover than you really think,” Schwartz said. “We have Denzel, we have Grant and it’s Myles. And those are the only starters. … The fact that we’ve been able to maintain it through that, it’s been a big upheaval in that and the guys have been able to maintain based on that core of guys.”
Now, the next coordinator will have to try and keep that same production with turnover at the top of the unit.
3. Schwartz views Myles Garrett through the lens of Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson
Throughout his time in Cleveland, Schwartz considered one direct comparison for Myles Garrett: Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson, whom he coached in Detroit
He argues that Garrett, who won his second career NFL Defensive Player of the Year award on Thursday, is one of the only players he’s seen who can impact a game on the level of Johnson, and both stars played on losing teams where the entire opposing game plan was singularly focused on stopping them.
Schwartz compared Garrett’s 2025 season, in which he broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23.0, despite the Browns 5-12 record, to the 2012 season for Johnson. That year, Johnson broke the NFL single-season receiving-yards record with 1,964 yards despite the Lions going 4-12.
“Every single game plan started with ‘Calvin Johnson is not beating us,’” Schwartz said. “We had a bunch of injuries. He was sort of a one-man show. We lost, it was just one of those seasons. But in a lot of ways similar to Myles in that, No. 1, everybody starts to game plan with him, which they have probably most of his career. But then No. 2, he hasn’t had that many opportunities to rush.”
The Browns were seeing an average of just 28 pass attempts per game heading into Week 18, third-fewest in the league. That gave Garrett fewer chances to get sacks, but he still found a way to produce.
In three years in Cleveland, Schwartz figured out how to get the best out of Garrett. The next coordinator will need to see if they can push it even further, with Garrett at 30 years old showing no signs of slowing down.
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz arrives before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
4. His “bloodbaths and pick-ups” philosophy kept the defense focused
Schwartz maintained his defense’s high standards by balancing harsh, “bloodbath” film sessions with encouragement, refusing to let the team get too high or too low.
His core philosophy was encapsulated by his mantra to his coaches: “They don’t pay us for the good times.” He sees it as his job to provide energy and motivation, especially when the team is losing.
After a particularly bad performance, like the Browns’ 24-6 loss in Cincinnati in 2024 when they gave up 326 total yards, Schwartz said the defensive meeting was a “bloodbath.” However, he also uses that tactic after strong performances on occasion.
“There’s been other times where we’ve had some bloodbaths off of really good performances because maybe we were riding a little bit too high,” Schwartz continues. “And I try to keep them level through. Don’t let them get too high. Don’t let them get too low.”
This knowledge of when to push and when to support was a key ingredient in his success, ensuring his unit remains level-headed and focused on its own standard regardless of the outcome. The next coordinator will need to strike a similar tone as well.
Cleveland Browns introduce Jim Schwartz as their new defensive coordinator to the media, January 18, 2023, at their headquarters in Berea. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
5. A health crisis and detour in Tennessee helped lead him back to Cleveland
Schwartz’s return to a top coordinator role was far from certain, as a serious health issue forced him to step away from the game before a consulting role reignited his career. After the 2020 season with the Eagles, Schwartz’s “thyroid went kaput,” as he said in his introductory press conference back in 2023.
That led to severe symptoms including an inability to sleep, intense hot and cold spells, and vision problems. He described the recovery as being like a player “healing from a torn ACL.”
During this time, then-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel pulled Schwartz in as a senior defensive assistant.
The behind-the-scenes role started as one day a week and grew, allowing Schwartz to contribute without the pressures of coordinating.
“I was not intimidating,” Schwartz said. “I was not trying to get anybody’s job. And I was good at, like, ‘Hey, look, you ever think about this?’ or ‘Hey, this is what I used to do in that situation.’”
It kept him in the game and, once he was physically and mentally ready, positioned him to take the Browns’ defensive coordinator job in 2023.
The move brought his career full circle, returning him to the city where he began as an unpaid intern under Bill Belichick in the 1990s.
Now, however, Schwartz may be looking at a break for a different reason.
He’s still under contract with the Browns, and if another team wishes to hire him, they will have to go through Cleveland.
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