Sep 20, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson stands before the game against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports
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An independent review determined that Hue Jackson’s claims of the Cleveland Browns incentivizing tanking could not be substantiated.
Back in February, former NFL head coach Hue Jackson claimed that the Cleveland Browns offered him money to lose football games during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The NFL decided to look into the allegations made by Jackson.
On May 2, the league announced that following an independent review by Mary Jo White and the Debevoise law firm, Jackson’s claims could not be substantiated.
Hue Jackson’s allegations of Browns tanking ‘could not be substantiated’ by NFL
“The investigation found no evidence to suggest that the Browns’ Four-Year Plan or the club’s ownership or football personnel sought to lose or incentivized and made no decisions deliberately to weaken the team to secure a more favorable draft position,” said the NFL in their statement.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam interviewed and cooperated as part of the review. However, the statement reads that Jackson did not meet with investigators after he had agreed to do so.
After making the claims, Jackson did backtrack days later, saying that he was not offered money to lose games.
Jackson had been hired by the Browns in 2016, which was his second head coaching stint since he was the sideline boss for the Raiders in 2011. In Cleveland, Jackson went 3-36-1 and included a 0-16 2017 campaign. Jackson was fired midway through the 2018 campaign.
After the claims were made by Jackson, the NFL launched its investigation into the Browns, and found no evidence.
