The Cleveland Browns finally made a decision to go with former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as Kevin Stefanski’s successor. Monken beat out Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Los Angeles Rams passing coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase in the final round of interviews to secure the job.
While the fans’ excitement about Monken has been gradually building since the hire, the big disappointment is Schwartz being reportedly upset about the decision and wanting to leave the organization altogether. It’s understandable why he would go that route, as he clearly doesn’t want to be the right-hand man to another head coach in Cleveland and will now likely take over another defense elsewhere.
During a recent episode of The Richard Sherman Podcast, Sherman shared high praise for Schwartz and discussed what could be next for him. He believes the next step is that he joins the San Francisco 49ers as their new defensive coordinator before getting another crack at a head coaching job somewhere else in two years.
“I think if Schwartz goes to another team, a contender who’s out of a coordinator right now. I think he has a head coach job within the next two years. And by contender, I’m thinking of the San Francisco 49ers,” Sherman said.
Jim Schwartz to The 49ers!? Sherm believes that can be his BEST move | Jim is UNDER-appreciated #Browns #49ers #KyleShanahan pic.twitter.com/1JNUnTJi1N
— Richard Sherman Podcast (@RShermanPodcast) January 31, 2026
The Niners have been the team most often linked to Schwartz already, and they are the most obvious destination given their contender status and the fact that they lost their DC when Robert Saleh left to become the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. An accomplished and experienced coordinator like Schwartz would be a seamless transition and obviously set him up to become a head coach again in a couple of years, as Sherman said.
Schwartz hasn’t gotten a second chance to be a head coach since his stint with the Detroit Lions from 2009-13. He has paid his dues since, and it sounds like it’s just a matter of time before someone gives him another shot.
Losing Schwartz is a devastating blow for the Browns, and it’s still unclear who the DC will be under Monken’s staff. Whoever it is will have their hands full, but at least the defense has plenty of talent returning.
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