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The Cleveland Browns are being investigated by the NFL following accusations from former head coach Hue Jackson, who previously said that the franchise incentivized him to lose games during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
The league confirmed that former SEC chair Mary Jo White is leading the independent probe.
White, of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, is also investigating former Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ claim that Miami owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss during the 2019 season.
- Jackson, who was fired by Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam during the 2018 season, retracted his allegations in February during an interview with Anderson Cooper, saying he was never offered money like Flores allegedly was. He added, “This is a totally different situation but has some similarities.”
- He also told Cooper that when players didn’t perform well, there was a “plan” that benefited certain people because, he claimed, the Browns wanted to lose.
Browns Banter
“Two years ago I tried to do this the right way, through the bylaws and constitution of the National Football League, to ask them to investigate the Cleveland Browns for all the allegations I’ve made,” Jackson said. “So why open an investigation now?”
A spokesperson for the Browns clarified: “It was important to us and to the integrity of the game to have an independent review of the allegations.”
The spokesperson added that the team is confident that Jackson’s accusations are false. The probe is expected to conclude soon.
