Hiring a new defensive coordinator is seen as the biggest move of Todd Monken’s early tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. So far, it may not be going well, as the search drags into its second week.
In addition, it may not be Monken’s hire after all. The organization, led by owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Andrew Berry, took a while to choose Monken, and now they may be overanalyzing the process to replace Jim Schwartz.
Analyst Tony Rizzo has raised a major concern regarding the Browns’ search for a new defensive coordinator, saying that Monken may be getting overruled in the process.
“Who’s making the decision? Do you believe it’s Todd Monken? I don’t,” Rizzo said.
“Who’s making the decision, do you believe it’s Todd Monken?,” – Rizz thinks the Browns are overthinking the DC hire.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/oJWRzFsfkH
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 16, 2026
According to a recent report from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the finalists for the job are Houston Texans passing game coordinator Cory Undlin, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver, and Atlanta Falcons passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg. It should be noted that the Browns also had a distinct list of finalists to replace Kevin Stefanski as head coach, but that search took many more twists and turns until Monken was finally announced.
The intrigue in the franchise continued well after that. Schwartz, who was a head coach finalist, was understandably upset that he was passed over, and those hard feelings ultimately led to his resignation. Because it took so long to hire Monken in the first place, and then more time was needed to determine Schwartz’s future, the Browns were well behind in having to fill a vital coordinator’s role on the new staff.
In that time, other potential candidates took jobs elsewhere, leaving Cleveland as the last team in the NFL without a defensive coordinator. Even the Las Vegas Raiders, who did not hire head coach Klint Kubiak until after the Super Bowl, have hired someone, which in turn took away Schwartz’s final possible landing spot.
It all may be just fine for the Browns in the end, but the way they have gone about things since the season has ended has to make fans and analysts like Rizzo at least a little bit concerned.
NEXT:
Browns Analyst Proposes Blockbuster Draft Day Trade