NFL has expected timeline on Browns investigation

In the wake of the Brian Flores lawsuit, former Cleveland Browns coach and current Grambling coach Hue Jackson tweeted his support for the fellow Black head coach. However, he also seemed to allege that Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam “was happy while we kept losing” and then wrote “trust me it was a good number” in response to someone who said the owner wasn’t offering that kind of money.

The Browns denied the claim strenuously and Jackson would later recant on whether he was offered a financial incentive to lose while with Cleveland. But the allegation was strong enough that it caused the NFL to look into the matter. Interestingly, the news of an investigation, which has been happening for a while, was announced by the Browns on Monday.

#NFL is investigating Hue Jackson’s claims #Browns tanked 2016 and 2017 season. Mary Jo White is leading the league’s probe. Statement from team spokesperson regarding the probe: pic.twitter.com/cgIvn0EMTn

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) April 18, 2022

“Even though Hue recanted his allegations a short time after they were made,” the team said, “it was important to us and to the integrity of the game to have an independent review of the allegations. We welcomed an investigation and we are confident the results will show, as we’ve previously stated, that these allegations are categorically false. We have fully cooperated with Mary Jo White and look forward to her findings.”

And on Monday night, an NFL spokesperson said that the results of that investigation should be known soon.

“We can confirm the NFL engaged former SEC chair Mary Jo White in February to look into allegations made by Hue Jackson against the Cleveland Browns,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a Monday night email, per Pro Football Talk. “The review is ongoing and is expected to conclude soon.”

The curious part is that the knowledge of this investigation wasn’t public until Monday when the Browns themselves announced it. The only assumption to take from that is that the Browns think they’ve been exonerated on that claim. But the fact that this was not publicized beforehand certainly seems to imply that may or may not have always been the case.

Meanwhile, the Browns are also awaiting the results of the NFL’s internal investigation into their new quarterback, Deshaun Watson, and whether or not he’ll face any suspensions this upcoming season.

[PFT]