Jim Schwartz’s Exit Leaves a Void in Cleveland-and a Window for Cincinnati
It’s hard to believe, but the Bengals edged out the Browns by just one win in the 2025 season. That’s not exactly a stat you’d expect from a team led by Joe Burrow and built to contend-especially when you consider how much talent is on both rosters. But here we are, with Ohio’s two NFL franchises once again under the microscope for all the wrong reasons.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Ohio is football country. This state lives and breathes the game, from Friday night lights to college Saturdays to NFL Sundays.
And yet, year after year, the Bengals and Browns keep finding new ways to underdeliver. That’s not a knock on the players-there’s no shortage of talent on either squad-but the organizational missteps continue to pile up.
Now, if you’re a Bengals fan, there’s at least some solace in the fact that Cincinnati feels more stable by comparison. And that stability just got a little more meaningful with the news out of Cleveland.
Jim Schwartz is out as Browns DC-and that’s a major shift
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Jim Schwartz is leaving the Browns, and that’s a big deal. Schwartz didn’t just coordinate a defense-he built one of the league’s most feared units, one that routinely kept Cleveland in games despite a revolving door at quarterback and inconsistent offensive play.
The Browns tried to keep him. They wanted him to stay.
But according to the report, Schwartz had his eyes on the head coaching role after three strong seasons as defensive coordinator. When that didn’t happen, the writing was on the wall.
It’s hard to fault him. Schwartz stuck with a franchise that’s been defined more by dysfunction than direction.
He elevated their defense to elite status, helped maximize the generational talent that is Myles Garrett, and earned the trust and respect of the locker room. When the Browns decided to go in a different direction with the hiring of Todd Monken, Schwartz decided it was time to move on.
And the reaction from Garrett? Let’s just say it didn’t exactly scream “business as usual.”
His social media post following the news was cryptic, but telling-this wasn’t just another coaching change. This one stung.
Schwartz gave Burrow fits-and now he’s out of the division
From a Bengals perspective, Schwartz’s departure is more than just a headline-it’s a sigh of relief. This is the guy who schemed up pressure packages that made life miserable for Joe Burrow.
Yes, Garrett was the one doing the damage on the field, but Schwartz was the architect. He brought a level of discipline and aggression that turned Cleveland’s defense into a top-tier unit.
With Schwartz gone, the Browns are left with serious questions-not just about their coaching staff, but about their identity. Monken may be a sharp offensive mind, but Cleveland’s strength was always on the other side of the ball. Losing the man who helped shape that identity is a major blow.
And let’s not forget: the Browns still don’t have clarity at quarterback. Combine that with a new coaching staff and a shaky offensive foundation, and it’s fair to wonder how they’ll hold up in a division that’s only getting tougher.
A window opens for Cincinnati
The Bengals have their own issues to work through this offseason. They’ve got to hit on free agency.
They’ve got to draft well. They’ve got to stay healthy.
But even if they stumble in some of those areas, Schwartz leaving Cleveland gives them a little more breathing room in the AFC North.
It’s not often you can say that losing a defensive coordinator shifts the balance of power in a division. But Schwartz wasn’t just any coordinator-he was the heart of what made the Browns competitive. Without him, Cleveland faces an uphill battle to maintain that same edge.
So while Bengals fans aren’t popping champagne just yet, they can look across the state and feel a little more confident. Because if nothing else, the road to staying out of the AFC North basement just got a little less treacherous.