Browns have 'internal preference' leading to one head coach

No sooner did the Cleveland Browns fire Kevin Stefanski than the 43-year-old head coach became a top target of the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. 

With former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expected to take the opening with the Giants, Connor Hughes of SNY is reporting that Stefanski is the favorite to become the next head coach of the Falcons.

Clearly, some general managers around the league aren't putting all of the recent failures of the Browns on Stefanski, who went 45-56 during his six seasons in Cleveland.

Even though they fired Stefanski, the Browns don't want to make wholesale changes in the organization. 

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is predicting the Browns will promote defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to head coach as the team has an "internal preference" to keep him in the building.

"My guess would be Jim Schwartz," Breer wrote of who he is predicting to become the next head coach of the Browns. "But they’re one of two teams (Atlanta being the other) where there’s an internal preference to keep a good defensive coordinator on board in some capacity. 

"And I think there’s a good chance Schwartz, who’s loved by his players and has developed the young guys at a high level, is the guy when it’s all said and done. We’ll see next week."

Cleveland Browns DC Jim Schwartz was the HC of the Detroit Lions

Schwartz has previous head coaching experience in the league, going 29-51 during his five seasons with the Detroit Lions. He went to the playoffs one time with the Lions in 2011, finishing 10-6 during the regular season. That was his only winning season with Detroit.

Schwartz has been with Cleveland since 2023. He earned AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023. His defenses have been impressive in recent seasons; no doubt, star pass-rusher Myles Garrett helps him out. 

However good the defense has been, the Browns have not been able to win because of issues with the offense. It's unclear how Schwartz plans to address the offense.

Despite winning eight games in the last two seasons, Cleveland somehow thinks they're close enough to keep a guy like Schwartz instead of blowing it up and starting fresh.