The story of the Cleveland Browns‘ 2025 season was pretty simple: It was a team with one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL while simultaneously carrying the worst offense in the NFL. And if you’ve been told that defense wins championships, simply point to Cleveland for refutation of that notion. Defense helps, but you’ve got to score points, too.
The Browns were 31st in points, and 30th in yardage this season. Their 55.6 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus was not just No. 32 in the league, it was No. 32 by a big margin–No. 31 was the Jets, whose offense graded at a 62.0. Last year’s Browns offense was ranked No. 32 by PFF, too, with a 62.1 grade, but the 2025 version was much, much worse.
All this is to say that the 2025 disaster of a year for the Browns, who wrapped up at 5-12, was not the fault of the defense. In fact, the five wins Cleveland posted were largely thanks to the defense. As the Browns have now fired Kevin Stefanski–according to reports, at least–it’s important to remember that none of what happened here should fall on defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Browns Defense Thrived With Jim Schwartz
Schwartz is one of the best defensive minds in the game, and the Browns have brought in personnel that have maximized what he wants to do. The Browns could fire Stefanski and simply promote Schwartz to head coach, but in doing so, they might lose a great coordinator and gain a mediocre coach–he was 29-52 in a five-year stint with the Lions.
As Browns beat writer Ashley Bastock wrote for Cleveland.com on Sunday: “If the Browns move on from Stefanski, maybe they would still be able to find an offensive-minded coach such as a Bills OC Joe Brady or Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak. In that case, it would be imperative that whoever they hire keeps Schwartz on as DC, while they work to overhaul the offense.”
Kevin Stefanski Backs Jim Schwartz
After the finale in Week 18, Stefanski was asked about working with Schwartz in his time with the Browns, where he has been the DC since 2023–and whether Schwartz might get a head-coaching gig again, whether in Cleveland or elsewhere.
“I love Jim. I love working with Jim,” Stefanski said. “He and I are cut from the same cloth. He is more than deserving of those type of opportunities and if that happens, I would be thrilled for him. Our offices are right next to each other so we spend a lot of time together. We see the game very similarly, we see things about this game very similarly.
“I think I have said before, he reminds me of one of his former coaches when I was playing just the way he goes about his business. Jimmy—and the entire defensive staff—did a great job.”
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been fired.
Browns’ Myles Garrett Is a Fan
One of the points certainly in favor of keeping Schwartz around, even if it means bumping him up in pay to keep him from taking a head-coaching job elsewhere, is the relationship he has forged with Myles Garrett, who has gone to a historic, elite level in this defense. Schwartz heaps credit on Garrett and the work he puts in, but Garrrett acknowledged that Schwartz has helped push him forward.
“I like Jim; I like the coaches that we have,” Garrett said this week. “So, I don’t know what’s going to be in the future. Would I like to play under Jim? Would I like to keep the team and for us to improve? Absolutely.
“But these are things that are handled by people who sign my checks so they make bigger decisions than I can account for. So I’m going allow them to do what they do – give my opinions if they ask for it. And I got to rock with whoever they have here. But I love Jim, and I love playing for him.”
Browns Urged to Retain Coach Despite Kevin Stefanski Decision