Cleveland Countersues Browns As Stadium Dispute Escalates

The contentious situation surrounding plans for a new Browns stadium has escalated to the point that the NFL franchise and the city of Cleveland are suing each other over where the team will call home.

This week, the city filed a lawsuit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, seeking to enforce the Modell Law, which states that a pro team in Ohio playing in a publicly supported stadium cannot move without giving the city in question six months’ notice and an opportunity to buy the franchise. The city had previously sent a formal notice to the team announcing its intent.

In October, the Browns kicked off the legal fight by filing a federal lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, seeking clarity about the Modell Law, colloquially named for late former Browns owner Art Modell.

Now, the countersuits will play out as the Browns push forward with their desire to abandon their downtown open-air stadium and build a $2.4 billion dome in suburban Brook Park. That plan has already received pushback from local officials, and the team will have issues getting its wish of roughly $1.2 billion in public funding.

Earlier this month, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who own the Browns, officially executed a clause to purchase 176 acres of land in Brook Park, where they intend to build the stadium complex.

Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb has previously said that he and his staff would be ready to reengage talks with the Haslams about stadium options downtown if they change their minds. “Our door is not closed,” Bibb said.

The Deshaun Dilemma 

The Browns are heading into the offseason with the second overall pick in April’s NFL Draft (along with eight more picks), but a complicated and expensive situation surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. 

The 29-year-old, who signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022, recently re-ruptured his Achilles after tearing it during the season. He’s also coming off a third straight disappointing season in Cleveland and is still owed $92 million over the next two years. Watson led the NFL in passing in 2020 with 4,823 yards.