Hue Jackson is not helping matters any but then again, that’s not surprising

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson is not helping anything.

Hue Jackson has not been the Cleveland Browns head coach since 2018. He was fired after winning just three games in three years. It was a team that was clearly heading to a rebuild, and Jackson seemed to be aware of that, allegedly taking bonus money to help the Browns lose. This all was revealed in the wake of Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL.

Both Flores and Jackson alleged that their former teams (Dolphins/Browns), gave the men money to lose, only to later fire them when they weren’t winning. For Flores, he has a right to be mad. Those Dolphin teams were not that talented and Flores did a great job. Flores, to his credit, also denied ever taking the money to lose; despite it being apparently offered.

Jackson, not so much. The tone of his revelation is that he did take the money, telling ESPN (via the New York Post)

"What I was trying to make sure people understood is that we were paid for — you’re gonna see it as losing — but the way the team was built, there was no chance to win, and win at a high level. You’re in a situation where what you have to do is do the best you can. My record that year was 1-15."

Jackson right there admits to taking the money. Everyone knew the Browns were tanking, they released so many veterans prior to 2016 that of course, they were tanking. Yet Jackson was baffled by the approach that they needed two years to build a good team through the NFL Draft.

"But I didn’t understand the process. I didn’t understand what that plan was. I asked for clarity. I asked ‘What is this?’, because it did not talk about winning and losing until Year 3 and 4."

Many, including Browns legend Joe Thomas, were quick to point out that the plan was always to rebuild in years one and two. Fans sport media, radio personalities; everyone was aware that there was a rebuild in play. The Browns were 3-13 the year prior with Josh McCown as their starting quarterback.

It’s not even like that 2016 team had bad players, as it had its fair share of Pro Bowlers in Thomas, Joe Haden, and Gary Barndige, as well as a healthy Christian Kirksey. Sure, it’s no Super Bowl contender but it’s hard to imagine they couldn’t have won four games. If there was stability at the quarterback position; who knows?

For all of this, Jimmy Haslem has not taken this lying down, telling Knox News;

"Hue Jackson has never ever accepted any responsibility for our record during that time period. He’s been masterful at pointing fingers but has never accepted any blame. I have accepted a ton of blame, and rightfully so."

Ex-Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson is just muddying the water

The reason this has all come to light is due to Brian Flores being denied a fair interview in accordance with NFL policy. I don’t care if you don’t like the policy, rules are rules and the New York Giants broke the rules; they had already selected the guy they wanted before they had their mandatory interviews.

They broke the rules. Flores has a case and frankly, never should’ve been fired in the first place by the Dolphins. Flores has publically said he’s turned down the bonus money offered to him to lose, has publically admitted to walking out of meetings put together by Dolphin ownership that would’ve resulted in tampering charges. He’s basically done everything right.

Jackson is not helping Flores’ case. The more Jackson ties himself to Flores, the less credibility that Flores will have. Jackson is on record saying he took the money to lose, but Flores is on the record of saying he didn’t. One head coach is maligned and often mocked, the other is highly respected.

Jackson is only going to taint Flores if he continues.

Jackson has been on board the “oh, I didn’t know the rebuilding team was going to rebuild” argument for years. What he never acknowledges is that it wasn’t the losing that got him fired, it was his inability to work with the front office. At least that’s what Thomas said.

Jackson has always played the victim and has always thrown others under the bus. Yet, a key argument that has popped up on Twitter over Jackson’s incompetence was his refusal to play Nick Chubb instead of starter Carlos Hyde. It was so bad that the front office had to actually trade Hyde away in order to get Chubb the carries he deserved. (The trade would allow the Browns to draft Greedy Williams).

Chubb has three Pro Bowls and should’ve been four-for-four with 1,000-yard seasons. He’s a potential Hall of Famer and one of the best runners in the league.

Yet, Jackson didn’t see it.

Jackson wasn’t fired for going 1-31, he got an extension after those two seasons. He was fired because he was incompetent. He didn’t see talent, he didn’t take responsibility and he couldn’t get along with the people in charge.

Jackson should do the first good thing of his career and stop mucking up Flores’ case.