Bengals’ last coaching foe in the AFC North appears to be on his way out in a surprising turn of events
Cincinnati would not mind watching Jim Schwartz leave the state.
The Cincinnati Bengals watched the AFC North fill its final head-coaching vacancy when the Cleveland Browns named former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken their 13th HC since 2000.
Monken was one of three finalists for the job, and was one of the two from outside the organization along with Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
The lone internal candidate was defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who may not be a part of the club for much longer following Monken’s hiring.
Browns could lose DC Jim Schwartz after Todd Monken lands HC gig over him
Schwartz is still under contract by the Browns, but did not take being passed over for Monken well.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports Schwartz has already said his goodbyes to people in the building and communicated he will not return.
Schwartz expected Cleveland to hire him as its next HC, and not landing the gig has him ready to exit. This is all the more damaging considering why Monken was hired in the first place.
The Browns want to keep Schwartz on staff, if not as the top coach, as the DC like he’s been for the past three years. Other candidates such as Scheelhaase were interested in hiring their own DC instead of inheriting Schwartz, but Monken was hired with the idea he’d take on the 59-year old defensive play-caller. This way, they’d get to have two of their top three candidates.
Schwartz wanting to leave after not landing the promotion jeopardizes that entirely, and it’s encouraging news for the Bengals.
Schwartz has been a pain for the Bengals to play against
Since Cleveland hired Schwartz to coach its defense back in 2023, Cincinnati has a tough time putting points on the board. The Bengals have been held under 20 points in three of their six matchups against Schwartz’s defense, and only eclipsed 30 points once in the last game of the 2023 regular season when both teams were already eliminated from playoff contention that year.
Joe Burrow has a 5.51 Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt ANY/A) in the five games he’s played against Schwartz’s unit. His career ANY/A is 6.70.
It’s more than Schwartz, obviously. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is the best pass rusher and defensive player in the NFL. If a DC can’t figure out how to unleash him, they aren’t worth hiring in the first place. Cornerback Denzel Ward has also played some of his best ball against Burrow and Co. The two of them make a formidable defensive duo for Cincinnati to pass against.
Losing Schwartz may not take away their abilities, but it would create a variable for the Bengals to potentially exploit. He’s a renowned defensive mind and has been a DC for the vast majority of this century. It’s why Cleveland was so desperate to keep him at all costs.
That plan looks like it’s backfiring. Cincinnati and the rest of the division will be glad to see Schwartz leave if that’s what ends up happening.
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