Browns Hire Mike Rutenberg as DC

The Atlanta Falcons’ passing game coordinator gets his first DC opportunity to run a defense that’s been elite for three straight seasons

The Cleveland Browns hired Mike Rutenberg, the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive passing game coordinator, as their next defensive coordinator. The 44-year-old replaces Jim Schwartz, who spent three seasons in the role but resigned after being passed over for the head coaching job in favor of Todd Monken. This is Rutenberg’s first opportunity as a defensive coordinator, coming after one season in Atlanta following four seasons as the New York Jets’ linebackers coach. The Browns essentially promoted from within a defensive structure that’s been one of the league’s best a relatively low-risk move since Monken has already signaled he won’t dramatically change the defensive scheme.

What makes Rutenberg’s hire particularly smart is the continuity it provides

 The Browns ranked fourth in total defense in 2025, allowing 283.6 yards per game. Over the past three seasons, Cleveland has allowed the fewest yards in the entire NFL. That’s not accidentally good. That’s systemic excellence. New head coach Todd Monken said explicitly at his introductory press conference that he doesn’t anticipate changing Cleveland’s defensive scheme. That means Rutenberg isn’t being asked to revolutionize anything. He’s being asked to maintain what works while adding his own perspective as the new coordinator.

The Browns’ defensive roster is absolutely stacked, which helps significantly

 Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett is the centerpiece, but he’s surrounded by five-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward and Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger. This isn’t a defense that needs to be rebuilt. This is a defense that needs to be managed and optimized. Rutenberg’s job is basically: don’t break what’s working. Easier said than done when you’re replacing a coordinator like Schwartz, but the infrastructure is there.

Rutenberg’s path to this job is interesting because it’s mostly been groundwork roles

He’s a Cornell grad and Washington, D.C. native who started in 2003 as a player personnel intern for Washington. He worked as an administrative assistant under Joe Gibbs, then did graduate assistant work at UCLA. He had defensive backs and linebackers coaching stints at New Mexico State before joining the NFL proper in 2013 as an assistant defensive backs coach for Jacksonville (2013-2015). He bounced around as a defensive assistant, became an assistant linebackers coach, then joined San Francisco as a pass game specialist in 2020. The Atlanta role as passing game coordinator was his first season there before this hiring.

His resume shows someone who’s spent years learning defensive systems from the ground up. This isn’t a flashy hire. This isn’t a splashy promotion of a coordinator from another NFL team. This is promoting someone from within the structure who understands elite defense and has spent years building foundational knowledge. Whether that translates to being an excellent defensive coordinator is unknown first-time coordinators are always question marks. But the Browns organization clearly believes Rutenberg is ready, and more importantly, believes that maintaining continuity of scheme and coaching is more important than big name recognition.

Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam signaled confidence in the direction by saying he expects “by and large” the majority of defensive starters and defensive coaching staff to return in 2026. That’s a green light for Rutenberg to keep doing what’s been working. The defense is elite. The roster is elite. The scheme works. His job is basically: don’t mess it up while proving you belong in this role.

For a first-time coordinator hire, that’s about as good a situation as you can get. The pressure is lower because you’re inheriting elite infrastructure. The expectations are clear: maintain excellence. Whether Rutenberg can do that will define his tenure.