Jim Schwartz Speaks Out for First Time Since Browns Coaching Decision

Former Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz seems to have emerged from hiding after Cleveland passed him over for the head coaching position this January.

He shared his thoughts on the Browns' hiring of Todd Monken instead of him.

Schwartz on not being the Browns head coach

"They wanted to go with an offensive guy, Schwartz told Ryan Ripken on Tuesday. "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... a forced marriage isn't going to work in the NFL..."

Jim Schwartz on the Browns Head Coaching job:

"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... a forced marriage isn't going to work in the NFL..." pic.twitter.com/rrNFkidig8
— Ryan Ripken (@ryanripkenshow) June 2, 2026

After the Browns passed on Schwartz for the head coach position, it seemed unlikely he would remain as the defensive coordinator. Schwartz likely believed he had a strong chance of landing the head coaching job when the final candidates were narrowed down to him, Monken and now Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase.

It always made sense for the Browns to pursue an offensive-minded head coach since the league heavily emphasizes offense, which ultimately left Schwartz out of the running.

Schwartz served as the Browns' defensive coordinator for three seasons from 2023 to 2025, leading Cleveland to the playoffs in his first year. However, the team struggled in the following two seasons, securing only eight wins in total.

Despite leaving the Browns on bad terms, Schwartz is still cheering for Monken to succeed.

"I'm rooting for him," Schwartz added. " I think he's a good dude... Proud of what we did there and obviously still have a lot of guys there, and assistant coaches, a lot of players, and you know still rooting for them."

Schwartz on Myles Garrett breaking the single-season sack record

One of the players that Schwartz coached in Cleveland was pass rusher Myles Garrett. Just like Schwartz, Garrett is no longer with the Browns after they traded him to the Rams on Monday. The last time the two were together on the field for the Browns was quite memorable, as Garrett set the single-season sack record against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. Schwartz also shared what he intended to say to Garrett if he didn’t manage to get a sack on that series, which, of course, he did.

"If he didn't get a sack in that series, I was getting ready to tell him on the sideline 'hey look I don't care if you're offsides 10 times in a row jump the snap count every single time. We're getting this sack," Schwartz said.

Jim Schwartz on Myles Garrett's record breaking sack:

"If he didn't get a sack in that series, I was getting ready to tell him on the sideline 'hey look I don't care if you're offsides 10 times in a row jump the snap count every single time. We're getting this sack'" pic.twitter.com/BFbGBwkWRp
— Ryan Ripken (@ryanripkenshow) June 3, 2026

Garrett is poised to make a significant impact by guiding the Rams to the Super Bowl this season, and perhaps Schwartz will get the opportunity to return to coaching on the sidelines sometime in 2027.

Add us as a preferred source on Google