While the Las Vegas Raiders' plan for the 2026 NFL season is starting to take shape, the offseason is still young, and so much is still unknown about the franchise's direction. Klint Kubiak is reportedly on his way as the next head coach, but he cannot officially be until after Super Bowl LX.
But questions will then surface about what kind of staff Kubiak will put together, as well as what the plan is for free agency and the draft. Kubiak, as the son of a former NFL head coach and a well-traveled man himself, should have some great coaching trees to tap into to fill out his staff.
That said, because his Seattle Seahawks team made it to the final week of the 2025 NFL season, the options are much more sparse, with staffs around the league being filled as we speak. An elite defensive coordinator, however, may have just become available late in the process: Jim Schwartz.
Raiders linked to Browns DC Jim Schwartz amid chaos in Cleveland
Schwartz, the former head coach of the Detroit Lions and a longtime NFL defensive coordinator, has spent the last three years running an elite defense for the Cleveland Browns. But when Kevin Stefanski was fired by the Browns this offseason, things started to get shaky in Cleveland.
The Browns settled on Todd Monken as their next head coach, passing over Schwartz and hoping to keep him in the building as a defensive coordinator. Reports have indicated that Schwartz felt like he was led on, and despite still being under contract, he said his goodbyes to those in the building.
Amid all of that chaos happening in Cleveland, Monken took the podium for his introductory press conference. It wasn't long before Monken started making slights at Schwartz, all but ending any hope of him returning to the Browns. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer had a fascinating idea on that front.
"As for Schwartz, if he’s not back in Cleveland, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Klint Kubiak make a run at landing him, once he coaches his last game as Seahawks OC on Sunday," Breer wrote.
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Again, Schwartz is a great defensive coordinator. Despite the Browns' offensive ineptitude over the last few years, Schwartz had the Cleveland defense ranked No. 1 in total yards allowed in 2023 and No. 4 in 2025. They finished in the top half of the league in points allowed in both those years as well.
It's safe to say that superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby, whose relationship with the Raiders has hit a bit of a rough patch, would be on board with Schwartz coming to Las Vegas. Crosby had this to say about Schwartz on the latest episode of his podcast, The Rush With Maxx Crosby:
"I (expletive) with Jim Schwartz. I'm a huge Jim Schwartz fan. He was a part of the Titans coaching staff when I made that first Pro Bowl with (Mike) Vrabel. He's a dog, and I grew up a Lions fan, and I remember him going at Harbaugh, and he's a fiery, great coordinator. Loves the game, intense, an all-in type of guy. I could see why people wanted Jim Schwartz," Crosby said. "You get Monken, but now you're losing out on the D coordinator who just led a top-three or five defense. Consistently tough on that side of the ball. It's not like a flash in the pan. Their defense is loaded. ... He had a lot of guys playing top top-notch football."
No obvious link exists between Schwartz and Kubiak, even though both have roots all around the NFL. But Kubiak doesn't have extensive options at this point in the coaching cycle, and if Schwartz really wants out of Cleveland, as he appears to, this could be an easy pairing.
Patrick Graham has already left for the Pittsburgh Steelers, so the Raiders need a new defensive coordinator, no matter what. Schwartz could be that experienced defensive leader that both Las Vegas and a first-time, offensive-minded head coach like Klint Kubiak need.