CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward isn\u2019t read to ponder the Browns future without Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n
In fact, Ward, who\u2019s in San Francisco participating in the Pro Bowl games, told cleveland.com on Sunday that he didn\u2019t know that Schwartz packed up his office and left Browns headquarters on Wednesday after being passed over for the head coaching job in favor or Todd Monken, telling some staffers that he wasn\u2019t coming back, according to NFL Network.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure what was true or was not true, so I\u2019m not going to speculate,\u201d Ward said. \u201cI\u2019m just going to wait to see how everything plays out and look forward to, hopefully we\u2019re still keeping him. I\u2019ve got a lot of respect for Coach Schwartz, and he\u2019s an amazing coach, and I\u2019m hoping he stays on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward, who\u2019s fifth Pro Bowl this year set a team record for a cornerback, was one of a number of premier defensive players including Myles Garrett and Grant Delpit who strongly endorsed Schwartz for the head coach job. Schwartz, who\u2019s under contract for two more years, was one of three finalists for the job, and came close to getting it. The others were Monken and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. <\/p>\n
In the end, the Browns opted for the coach with the best plan for transforming their stagnant offense, one that\u2019s finished last and second-last in scoring over the past two seasons. <\/p>\n
But now, their premier defense, which has finished first in a number of key categories over the past three seasons under Schwartz, is without its coordinator, and it remains to be seen if he\u2019ll come back. Garrett, who opted not to participate in the Pro Bowl games, has already seemingly expressed his displeasure over the Schwartz departure, posting a meme of a fast food employee hanging their head. <\/p>\n
In the meantime, Monken is keeping the defensive staff intact, and the Browns are hoping that Schwartz, who\u2019s under contract for two more years, will return. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping coach Schwartz stays,\u201d Ward said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m hoping. That\u2019s who I want to stay. I want coach Schwartz to be my defensive coordinator, and if we can make that happen, I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward said he hasn\u2019t talked to Schwartz or reached out to him yet. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s my place right now,\u201d he said. \u201cI would really just wait and see how everything plays out.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the interim, he\u2019s excited about Monken, the Browns offensive coordinator in 2019 and Ravens\u2019 offensive boss the past three seasons, where he presided over one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. <\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten a chance to meet him yet, but definitely excited about the new head coach,\u201d Ward said. \u201cI\u2019ve heard a lot of great things about him and just his development of offensive players. That\u2019s definitely where we needed a big push this past season was the offense, so I\u2019m hoping and looking forward to seeing how he develops those guys on the offensive side of the ball, and looking forward to our offense putting a lot of points on the board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward knows how Lamar Jackson elevated his game under Monken, including his second NFL MVP award in 2023, and the NFL\u2019s No. 1 QB rating of 119.6 in 2024, when he threw 41 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. During Monken\u2019s time with the Ravens from 2023-25, running back Derrick Henry led all NFL players with 4,683 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely says a lot, (with Jackson) and Derrick Henry, just what he was able to do with those guys and improve their game,\u201d Ward said. \u201cThey had some great stats and improvements under him, so I\u2019m looking forward to seeing him do that with the Browns.\u201d <\/p>\n
Ideally, he\u2019d love to see Schwartz and Monken here together, working their magic on both sides of the ball. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be exciting,\u201d Ward said. \u201cI feel that definitely on the offensive side, I think we just need a bit of assertiveness and just holding the offense accountable and stuff like that. I feel coach Schwartz does that for us, for the defense, holds us all accountable, and just holds us to a high standard, and doesn\u2019t let us fall off from that.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if (Monken) can do that for them, and if we can return and be the No. 1 defense again, and he could get the offense up to a top 10 offense, we\u2019re going to have a great season and it\u2019s going to be looking good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like last year, Ward feels the Browns can win in 2026 with some quality quarterback play. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe way the NFL is, if you\u2019ve got a great quarterback, you\u2019ll go far in this league and play for the Super Bowl, and you can make up for a lot of things. But I think we\u2019ve got good, core talent on our team, and we\u2019re going to add some more guys in the draft. I think we\u2019re right there. We\u2019re close.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward was also happy that his teammate Shedeur Sanders was added to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Super Bowl-bound quarterback Drake Maye. With Garrett, voted as a starter to his seventh Pro Bowl, not participating in the games Tuesday night, Ward and Sanders are the only two Browns in hand. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s exciting for him, and great opportunity for him to get the exposure,\u201d Ward said. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s also eager for Garrett and rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger to discover on Thursday night at the NFL Honors show if they\u2019ve won AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, respectively. Both are favorites to win. <\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely exciting,\u201d Ward said. \u201cBoth of those guys are deserving. They both showed out this year and did what they\u2019re supposed to do and put the numbers up. With Carson, I don\u2019t think any other rookie played better than him. He came in like a vet. And obviously, Myles is breaking records and is most deserving of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And in a perfect world, they\u2019ll have the defensive coordinator who helped them achieve such heights back with them this season. <\/p>\n