Ex-Browns player Jason McCourty on 2017 season: 'There’s no way we were trying to win'

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Former Cleveland Browns defensive back Jason McCourty added credence to Hue Jackson’s claim that there were incentives to lose during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

McCourty was with the Browns in 2017 when the team finished 0-16, only the second team in NFL history to have a winless season. While Cleveland lost four of those games by six points or less, McCourty suggested on his "Double Coverage" podcast Friday there was some merit to Jackson’s claim.

"I was in Cleveland in 2017. There’s no way we were trying to win. It was very obvious," McCourty said. "That is to no surprise to anyone. You don’t need me to corroborate the story and say, ‘We were tanking, we were trying to lose.’ Duh." 

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Cornerback Jason McCourty (30) of the Cleveland Browns pursues wide receiver Davante Adams (17) of the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter of a game Dec. 10, 2017, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Green Bay won 27-21 in overtime. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

"I said this when I got to New England: You realize winning in the NFL is not easy, so you don’t want to take it for granted, you celebrate your wins. But the year I spent in Cleveland also taught me winning ain’t this hard either. You don’t just go 1-31. It’s not that hard to figure out on the other end of it."

Jackson, now the head coach at Grambling State University, told ESPN Wednesday there was money to be made for hitting certain milestones, like attaining a certain number of draft picks and being the youngest team in the league.

"Teams that win are just not the youngest team, not that the youngest teams can't win, so I didn't