BEREA, Ohio — Todd Monken is quickly assembling his staff as the Cleveland Browns‘ new head coach, but it remains to be seen if it will include incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Monken said he has spoken to Schwartz, who reportedly told people he is not returning to Cleveland after being passed over for the head coaching staff, but added that it would be “a little inappropriate for me to comment about that at this time.
“I didn’t take this job because of Jim Schwartz,” Monken later said. “I have a lot of respect for Jim Schwartz, as I would hope he has for me. But I took it because of the players that are here, the ownership, [general manager] Andrew Berry, and the ability to build this roster from the ground up on the offensive side. … When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn’t trying to chip Jim Schwartz. I was chipping Myles Garrett.”
Schwartz was one of the finalists for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy after the team fired Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland, though, ultimately hired Monken, who served as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons, leaving questions regarding where Schwartz stood with the organization. It marked the second time that Schwartz was passed over for the Browns’ head coaching job; he also came up short in the 2020 cycle that ended with Cleveland hiring Stefanski.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler previously reported that Monken is open to retaining Schwartz but that there is “no guarantee” that Schwartz, who has stated his desire to be a head coach again, will be with the organization in 2026. Schwartz is under contract through the 2026 season, so the Browns could block any overtures from teams seeking a defensive coordinator.
Schwartz, 59, has spent the past three seasons as the Browns’ defensive coordinator and has led one of the best units in the NFL. Since 2023, Cleveland has allowed the fewest yards in the league. Garrett has won one Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023 and is likely to win his second at NFL Honors on Thursday after breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record this season.
Monken, who turns 60 on Thursday, returns to Cleveland for his first NFL head coaching opportunity after a one-year stint with the team as the offensive coordinator on Freddie Kitchens’ staff. Monken did not call plays during that season but now is tasked with rebuilding an offense that ranks last in points scored over the past two seasons (15.8 points per game). The Browns finished 5-12 in 2025 and have a combined 8-26 record over the past two seasons.
Monken said he will continue to call plays on offense as head coach. He declined to commit to Shedeur Sanders, who went 3-4 as a starter in the final seven games of the season, as QB1, saying that is “still to be determined.”
“Am I excited about Shedeur [Sanders]?” Am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room? Am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely,” Monken said. “I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
