Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam maintains faith in Hue Jackson. The owner of questionable quality has not wavered in his support of Cleveland’s head coach. Jackson, despite a 1-31 record in Cleveland, does not seem to be feeling the pressure some thought he would as the 2018 season approaches.
Haslam said he views 2018 as if it is Jackson’s “first season” in Cleveland as training camp began. The remarks would seem to further the idea that the past two years of abysmal performances in Cleveland remain blamed largely on former general manager Sashi Brown. The comments puzzled more than a few around the NFL. 2018 seemed to be a definite make-or-break year for Coach Jackson.
Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Unwavering in Support of Hue Jackson
Haslam’s Potential Reasoning
All things considered, Haslam may have felt he had to endorse Hue Jackson. The owner developed quite the reputation for having a quick trigger with team personnel firings. Even this past off-season saw Haslam fire Brown, although he kept Jackson and other team staff on board.
In short, Haslam may have felt inclined to back Jackson for a third season to repair his reputation as an owner. Hue and the current regime will likely not be the last staff employed by Haslam. Furthering a reputation for poor ownership would hurt the long-term prospects of the Browns.
What This Means for the Browns
What the comments mean for the future of the Browns depends almost entirely on what Jackson does this season. If the team stutters to a 2-14 record it won’t matter if Haslem sees it as year one or year three. Jackson would surely be fired, especially after such a busy off-season.
Where the comments would seem to help Jackson the most is if the season ends up in the middle of everyone’s expectations. If the Browns win four or five games, Haslem may decide to hold on to Jackson because of the “year one” mentality.
If nothing else, the comments should take a little bit of the pressure off of Jackson. He obviously cannot duplicate the past two seasons, but anything more than that should keep him around for one more season. Whether or not that is best for the organization is another matter, and is something almost impossible to tell at the current time.
