NFL investigation finds no evidence Browns deliberately lost games

The NFL has announced that it found “no evidence” the Cleveland Browns purposely lost games or offered bonuses to do so after their former head coach, Hue Jackson, alleged in February the team tried to lose during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The league said on Monday that a 60-day independent review determined “none of the allegations could be substantiated.” Former US Attorney Mary Jo White led the investigative team.

Jackson went 3-36-1 in two-plus seasons for Cleveland before he was fired eight games into the 2018 season. Jackson had claimed Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam incentivized people in the organization to lose over a four-year period. Jackson later softened those comments.

The investigation concluded there wasn’t evidence supporting Jackson’s claims the team “tanked” during those seasons, and the club’s ownership or football personnel “made no decisions deliberately to weaken the team to secure a more favorable draft position.”

The Browns went 1-15 in 2016 and lost all 16 games the following season under Jackson. The poor run allowed the team to secure the No 1 overall pick in the 2017 and 2018 drafts, which they used to select star players Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield.

White and other lawyers interviewed Jimmy Haslam along with current and former members of the organization. The league said Jackson initially agreed to meet with investigators before deciding against it. The investigators had access to Jackson’s public statements and filings and testimony in a prior arbitration proceeding. The league said the Browns also provided documents, including emails, texts, internal memos and presentation decks to assist the inquiry.

The Browns have consistently denied Jackson’s assertions, and said they are