The New York Jets are seeking a new defensive coordinator.
One name has emerged from the pack as a potential dream fit: Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
“I think the big name out there, and this would be a home run hire, although I highly doubt that they would get him, is Jim Schwartz, the defensive coordinator in Cleveland. That Cleveland situation is one to watch. Are they going to blow it up? Are they going to fire [Kevin] Stefanski and go in a different direction? If so, then Schwartz becomes available probably. He’d be great, very aggressive coach, [a] really good coach,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini described on the “Flight Deck” podcast.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared similar praise for Schwartz.
“Like Jim Schwartz, if the Browns fire their staff, which I don’t know if they will, but Jim Schwartz would be at the top of my list if he became available. I don’t know why he’d take this job necessarily,” Rosenblatt said on “Jets Final Drive.”
The Key Ingredient to a Potential Schwartz Wooing
Schwartz is wildly successful, more on that later, but there is only one chance the Jets have of landing him.
The Browns have to fire Kevin Stefanski as the head coach.
An NFL team can block one of its coaches from interviewing with another team if the move is lateral. In other words, Schwartz is the DC for the Browns; he can’t laterally jump to the Jets DC gig unless he shakes free in a coaching blowup.
Cleveland couldn’t block Schwartz if he wanted to interview for the head coaching position, which would be a promotion from his current gig.
“No decisions have been made on the future of Kevin Stefanski, the two-time NFL Coach of the Year. The Browns know Stefanski can coach, and he has maintained a consistent approach amid the adversity of a transition year with a young roster. But the hard reality is the Browns are 6-25 over the past two seasons, putting everything up for evaluation,” NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero shared.
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
An Impressive Resume for Schwartz That Could Be What the Jets Doctor Ordered
Schwartz, 59, has done it all.
He has been coaching football since 1989. Over the last 36 years, Schwartz has coached for six different NFL teams. Schwartz won a Super Bowl ring as the Philadelphia Eagles’ DC in the 2017 season. Schwartz has 17 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level.
He was named the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after his first season as the DC of the Browns in 2023.
“The architect of the league’s top-rated defense in 2023 has been recognized for his handiwork,” Michael Baca of the NFL Media Group wrote. “Schwartz’s aggressive scheme did wonders for a Browns defense that finished first in the league in yards allowed (270.2 per game), tied for fifth in takeaways (28) and sixth in sacks (49) in 2023. Compared to last year’s numbers — 331.2 YPG, 10 takeaways, 34 sacks — Schwartz’s first year in Cleveland unlocked the potential of a talented Browns defense that disappointed in the recent past.”
Steve Wilks was a disaster hire for head coach Aaron Glenn. An experienced coach who just couldn’t get things to click. This feels like a right church but wrong pew situation. Coach Glenn going after an experienced coach wasn’t the wrong decision; he just picked the wrong guy.
Someone who has done the job before makes a ton of sense as the solution in 2026 to help turn things around.
Super Bowl Coach Emerges as Dream Fit for Vacant Jets DC Gig