Hue Jackson Claims Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Offered Bonus for Losses

Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL as well as the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants on Tuesday, alleging racist hiring practices. Flores expects other coaches to join the suit, and got some public support from one notable former NFL coach: Hue Jackson, who led the Browns from 2016 to '18.

Among the most glaring accusations from Flores is that Miami owner Stephen Ross offered $100,000 per loss during his first season in 2019. The team entered the year with extremely meager expectations, but overachieved under Flores, going 5–11. Flores was one of the most surprising firings of this coaching cycle after 10–6 and 9–8 records over the last two years. 

Jackson seems to indicate that Ross wasn't alone in incentivizing his team losing. On Tuesday night, the new Grambling State coach tweeted that Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam “was happy while we kept losing.”

He didn't stop there. In response to a joke about Jackson's record with the Browns, he indicated that he too was offered payment for losses.

Kimberly Diemert, executive director of the Hue Jackson Foundation, congratulated Flores “for your bravery” after the lawsuit became public, claiming that she has records “that will help your case,” and that Browns executives were paid bonuses to tank early in Jackson's tenure. 

Jackson responded to this as well, saying he can “back up every word.”

Jackson went 3-36-1 with the Browns before being fired midway through the 2018 season. He was 8–8 in one year as Raiders coach in '11.