Jim Schwartz's Tennessee Titans return, once misunderstood, makes more sense now | Estes

For two years, Jim Schwartz wasn't in charge. But he wasn't some phantom, either. He wasn't just a face in the background, collecting a check, seldom to be mentioned or credited. He made memories with these Tennessee Titans.

Ask Kevin Byard. He'll tell you about timely chats on the sideline, often when things weren't going well. And also about a book on leadership. Schwartz gave that book to the Titans safety at training camp a couple of years ago. Byard read it, too.

“He had an impact on me, for sure,” he said.

On Sunday, when Schwartz’s current team faces his most recent one, both sides will feature good defenses. With the Cleveland Browns, it’s easy to see his fingerprints as a first-year defensive coordinator. In Tennessee, not so much.

But they are here. That’s not debatable, even though it still isn’t well-understood exactly what he did as a “senior defensive assistant" for the Titans in 2021 and 2022.

His return had a distinct cloak-and-dagger feel. It was such a vague title for someone with such an accomplished job history. He didn’t make a single media appearance in two years (because he technically wasn’t an assistant coach, so he wasn’t required to), and Titans coach Mike Vrabel was steadfastly evasive and reluctant to discuss Schwartz’s role.

During Schwartz’s two seasons working with (under?) defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, the Titans’ defense went from liability in 2020 to the team’s strongest unit. The pass rush improved greatly. The run defense has ranked among the NFL’s best for two seasons.

All of this tempted outsiders to misconstrue Schwartz’s role with the Titans as more than it was intended to be.

Only we know that wasn’t the case. Because it couldn't have been the case.

What wasn’t well-known at the time was the extent of health issues that prompted Schwartz, 57, to curb his coaching duties in the first place. That his role in Tennessee was limited from the start. When he was hired by Cleveland in January, Schwartz elaborated during his introductory news conference.

“My thyroid went kaput a couple of years ago,” Schwartz told Browns reporters. “It took the greater part of about 18 months to get my numbers to where they needed to be. It's well-controlled, but I went through a year I couldn't sleep more than two hours. I was either too hot or too cold.”

Schwartz said he underwent eye surgeries because of the condition, and that he’d been dealing with vision problems that would cause severe headaches while watching film.

That’s why he stepped down as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator after the 2020 season.

"I couldn't cheat the game,” Schwartz explained in January. “I couldn't give a substandard performance. It wasn't fair to the organization. It wasn't fair to the players. It wasn't fair to other guys on the coaching staff. It was a very difficult decision, but I had to step away.

“The Titans and Mike Vrabel were very gracious to give me an opportunity to still contribute while I was sort of dealing with that stuff.”

In hindsight, the move was obvious. Schwartz still wanted to be a part of football, even in a semi-retired capacity. He still had roots and family in Nashville as a result of his 1999-2008 tenure with the Titans, after which he became the Detroit Lions’ head coach in 2009.

As for the Titans, why wouldn't you welcome someone like Schwartz into the building?

Yet despite his experience, his responsibilities were always meant to be uniquely subdued in Tennessee. In that context, Vrabel's secrecy the past two years makes more sense.

“It had to be right for him. It had to be right for us,” Vrabel said this week, “make sure that it was in the role that he was looking for at that point in time in his career.”

Schwartz wasn’t necessarily prominent with the Titans, but players remember him well.

“He would be kind of in the back of the meeting,” defensive back Elijah Molden said. “ . . . He would more kind of sit back and analyze behind the scenes.”

Schwartz described his duties then as wanting “to be a good mentor,” he told Browns reporters. “My job was to make suggestions and not be ruffled if they weren't acted on. . . . I think I was still able to make a contribution. I’m incredibly grateful to Mike Vrabel for giving me the trust to do that. And to Shane for trusting me to do that.”

As his health improved, Schwartz notified Vrabel of his desire to be a coordinator again. He had “a few opportunities,” Vrabel said, “and he felt like this one was the right one for him” in Cleveland. Vrabel recommended Schwartz when he got a call from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.

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How’s it going? So far, very well. Schwartz has been a hit in Cleveland.

In Week 1, the Browns limited Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to 82 yards on 14-of-31 passing, and Cincy never had an offensive possession of more than seven plays in a soggy 24-3 loss to Cleveland.

The Browns lost 26-22 in Pittsburgh on Monday night because their offense turned it over four times and the Steelers’ defense returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns. Cleveland outgained Pittsburgh 408 yards to 255. The Browns’ defense did enough to win that game.

And it is playing well enough to suggest that Sunday's game in Cleveland will be one of the larger challenges facing the Titans’ offense this season.

“Obviously, Coach Schwartz was here,” Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “He’s a great coach and has been around a long time and done a lot of good things over the course of his career.

“Ton of respect for what they’re doing right now. We’re going to have to play well.”

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: In facing Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans reunite with Jim Schwartz