{"id":708398,"date":"2026-01-27T07:37:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T07:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/708398\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T07:37:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T07:37:13","slug":"browns-rumors-jim-schwartz-gaining-momentum-in-cleveland-coaching-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/708398\/","title":{"rendered":"Browns rumors: Jim Schwartz \u2018gaining momentum\u2019 in Cleveland coaching search"},"content":{"rendered":"

Browns rumors: Jim Schwartz \u2018gaining momentum\u2019 in Cleveland coaching search<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Cleveland Browns<\/a> are inching closer to finding the man to replace Kevin Stefanski<\/a>, and it looks like the answer might already be in the building. According to a report from longtime Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is \u201cgaining momentum\u201d to become the franchise\u2019s next head coach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Cabot shared on X, formerly Twitter, late Monday night that a league source indicated Schwartz is picking up steam as general manager Andrew Berry and owner Jimmy Haslam wrap up their search.<\/p>\n

This surge comes as other potential favorites have fallen by the wayside<\/a>; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski recently withdrew from consideration<\/a>, and John Harbaugh, who was briefly linked to Cleveland, is headed to the New York Giants.<\/p>\n

Schwartz has a massive fan club inside the locker room. All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward have both reportedly endorsed the 59-year-old for the top job. It\u2019s easy to see why. Under Schwartz\u2019s leadership, the Browns\u2019 defense remained a powerhouse even during a disappointing 5-12 season. <\/a><\/p>\n

The unit finished 2025 ranked fourth in total defense (283.6 yards per game) and third in passing defense (167.2 yards per game). Garrett also turned in a historic season, setting a new NFL record with 23 sacks.<\/p>\n

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The big question for Cleveland is whether they want to double down on a defensive identity or pivot back to an offensive mind like Todd Monken or Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. However, hiring Schwartz would provide much-needed stability. He has previous head coaching experience, having led the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2013, where he famously helped pull the franchise out of its 0-16 doldrums.<\/p>\n

With the NFL coaching carousel spinning at full speed, a decision in Cleveland could come as early as Tuesday. If the momentum holds, Schwartz may finally get his second shot at the big whistle.<\/p>\n

Related: Browns set to finalize coaching search after LA trip<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Browns\u2019 Shedeur Sanders named Pro Bowl replacement after rookie season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Browns rumors: Jim Schwartz \u2018gaining momentum\u2019 in Cleveland coaching search appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":708399,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2054],"tags":[2007,86,85,54,2337,7345,113,7,125,22881,8591,8934,1304,56,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-708398","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cleveland-browns","8":"tag-andrew-berry","9":"tag-browns","10":"tag-cleveland","11":"tag-cleveland-browns","12":"tag-clevelandbrowns","13":"tag-denzel-ward","14":"tag-detroit-lions","15":"tag-football","16":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","17":"tag-jim-schwartz","18":"tag-kevin-stefanski","19":"tag-mary-kay-cabot","20":"tag-myles-garrett","21":"tag-new-york-giants","22":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115965922080325780","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=708398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/708399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}