No doubt, the 2026 head-coaching carousel has been wild, and few teams epitomized that more than the Cleveland Browns, who finally settled on Todd Monken to be their head coach despite previous reports they were zeroing in on Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase or promoting from within by naming defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as head coach.
The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, need a new defensive coordinator after losing Robert Saleh to the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching vacancy.
Understandably, the Niners were monitoring the situation in Cleveland closely, especially if one believes Schwartz would be an excellent Saleh replacement. After all, Schwartz frequently defied head coach Kyle Shanahan's offenses time and time again.
Prior to Monken's hiring, San Francisco could have bought into speculation about the Browns wanting to retain Schwartz in whatever capacity possible, perhaps even requiring a new head coach to work with the coordinator upon hiring.
Now, there's a twist that might just gift Shanahan and the 49ers a perfect opportunity to land Schwartz.
Jim Schwartz appears to be done with Browns, 49ers should pounce
Several media outlets made it clear Schwartz would love the opportunity to return to head-coaching ranks again. But, with nearly every likable opening now occupied, save the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders' jobs, the one-time Detroit Lions head coach might be better off waiting another year or two.
As far as his tenure in Cleveland, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero indicated it's coming to a conclusion, seemingly by Schwartz's own actions:
After the Browns informed DC Jim Schwartz this morning they were passing him over to hire Todd Monken as head coach, Schwartz was visibly upset, said goodbyes in the building and told other coaches he’s not coming back, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 28, 2026
Schwartz is under contract and… pic.twitter.com/GBEct9BRPB
That means Schwartz is soon to become a coordinating free agent, apparently.
The Niners shouldn't hesitate. Even if they already have a safe in-house replacement for Saleh in assistant head coach Gus Bradley, who'd implement the same scheme as before and already knows the players, Schwartz's defensive successes in Cleveland can afford Shanahan to round out his own defense with a coordinator who also knows how to maximize the available talent.
Unlike Bradley, whose prior defenses failed to flash the prowess displayed by the Seattle Seahawks nearly 15 years ago, Schwartz has had recent success.
Considering he's not likely to return to the Browns now, San Francisco now has to take full advantage of the latest Schwartz gift.