Jim Schwartz Talks Browns Resignation After Missing Out on HC Job to Todd Monken

Former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz confirmed he left his previous position because he felt he was "passed over" in the head coaching search that resulted in the hiring of Todd Monken.

Schwartz discussed his exit from the Browns around the 12:50 mark of a Tuesday appearance on the Ryan Ripken Show.

"We had a lot of success on defense, and the Browns made a change at head coach and they passed over me, with all the success that we had and the ability to develop players," Schwartz told Ripken.

"They wanted to go with an offensive guy. They chose Todd. I'm fine with that. They can make decisions that they want to make, but they can't expect me to stay on board for that."

Schwartz continued, "Todd deserved his own guy. I mean, a forced marriage isn't going to work in the NFL.

"Having command of the players, and having command of the locker room, all of those things are extremely important, and I didn't feel like I could do my job after getting passed over for the head coaching job. It just put me in a tough decision."

The Browns initially announced Schwartz's departure in early February, one week after hiring Monken away from his former position as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

Schwartz said Tuesday that staying in Cleveland "wouldn't have been good for me, and it wouldn't have been good for Todd."

"It was best for him to get his own guy in there and to move forward with him, as opposed to just having an arranged marriage, and having me there, and maybe having some players more loyal to me than him," Schwartz said.

Schwartz added that he was "disappointed," not "upset" by his split from the Browns, which took place days after Monken discussed his work with the team's defense in an introductory press conference.

Monken said shortly before Schwartz's departure that Browns players could "rest assured" the team would retain its defensive system regardless of who was coordinating the unit.

"I didn't take this job because of Jim Schwartz... I took it because of the players that are here," Monken said.

The Browns ranked fourth in the NFL in defensive yards allowed last season, marking the unit's second top-four finish in three seasons under Schwartz.

Schwartz is now set out to sit out the 2026 season as the Browns turn to new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg.

Rutenberg, who is stepping into his first DC role after most recently working as the Atlanta Falcons' defensive pass game coordinator, will look to build on Schwartz's success as the Browns look to retool a defense that added Jared Verse but lost Myles Garrett this offseason.