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Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the Las Vegas Raiders not hiring a head coach until every other opening was filled, they didn’t have many options to fill out their coaching staff. With Jim Schwartz and the Cleveland Browns having a falling out, he seemed like he’d be the best defensive coordinator option on the market.
Instead, the Browns have refused to relieve him of his contract with the team. The Raiders decided to promote defensive line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator. He’s a very promising young coach, but he has never called a defense before.
It would be wise to try to surround him with some other experienced defensive assistants. Schwartz’s situation with the Browns remains unresolved, and it’s possible he has to sit out the 2026 season.
However, Cleveland might decide they don’t want to deal with the drama, and they’ll let him seek opportunities. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Raiders are still seen as a landing spot for Schwartz if he becomes a free agent.
“Based upon the people I’ve talked to since Rob Leonard was promoted to defensive coordinator, I’ve heard different opinions about this, but there is still a belief … that Schwartz could still end up with the Raiders,” Florio said on “PFT Live.”
Florio Further Explains How This Could Work
Schwartz has been coaching for nearly 40 years, so the idea of taking a season off has to be somewhat appealing. That said, he also likely has a huge chip on his shoulder after the Browns decided not to hire him as head coach.
Florio explained how a scenario of him landing in Las Vegas could look.
“Assistant head coach defense, senior defensive assistant, something. They could still try to land him if and when the Browns release his rights,” Florio said. “I just think that Schwartz is too damn smart to give up, to cry ‘Uncle’ and walk away. If he wants to coach this year, there’s a way to pull it off, and the simplest thing to do, once the Browns name a new defensive coordinator, is to say ‘I’m back, baby. I’m back.’
“It’s just something I’m going to keep an eye on. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think it would be foolish to not keep an eye on this because there’s just enough there to make you say. … ‘Are the Browns playing checkers while Jim Schwartz is playing chess?’ Let’s see how it plays out.”
Would Hiring Schwartz Undermine Leonard?
The biggest risk with the Raiders possibly hiring Schwartz is that he’s a very strong personality to pair with a first-time defensive coordinator. Schwartz and Leonard haven’t worked together before, so it’s unclear if they have any type of relationship.
If Schwartz can accept a role that is simply there to support Leonard, then he’d be an incredibly valuable coach for the Raiders to bring on. He’s been coaching defense for a long time and has head coaching experience. He could be a major asset for Leonard, and it’d likely just be a one-year rental, as he’d almost certainly get a defensive coordinator job next year.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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