National Football League

Source: Jim Schwartz will work with NFL officials next season

Published May. 25, 2015 12:02 p.m. ET

Alex Marvez

Jim Schwartz will be working in the NFL this year. It just won't be from the sidelines.

FOX Sports has learned that Schwartz will be serving as a consultant to the league's officiating department for the 2015 season. Schwartz's main role is to help provide a coach's perspective with some of the decisions made by the officiating office, a source told FOX Sports.

With Schwartz as the defensive coordinator in 2014, the Bills had the No. 4 overall unit in the NFL. Schwartz, though, was released by Buffalo in January after the Bills hired Rex Ryan as the new head coach.

Schwartz, 48, had previously served as head coach of Detroit from 2009 to 2013. He also was Tennessee's defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2008.

Schwartz drew strong consideration for defensive coordinator vacancies around the NFL after his Bills release but told the Baltimore Sun he wanted to be judicious in the next coaching job he accepted. Schwartz should be a top head coaching candidate in the 2016 offseason based upon his work in Buffalo as well as some of the success he enjoyed with the Lions.

Schwartz is scheduled to start working Tuesday in his new NFL job.