
The Cleveland Browns could soon have a new minority investor in the franchise. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, NFL owners plan to vote Tuesday on a proposal that would allow Arctos to buy a 3% stake in the Browns. If approved, Arctos would add Cleveland to its growing list of NFL investments.
Arctos already owns minority shares in two AFC teams. The company holds 8% of the Los Angeles Chargers and 10% of the Buffalo Bills. It has also invested in major sports franchises like the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Golden State Warriors.
Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam bought the Browns from Randy Lerner in 2012. Since then, the team has struggled to find consistent success. Cleveland has made the playoffs only twice during their ownership. The Browns also went 0-16 in the 2017 season.
The team entered 2024 with optimism after reaching the playoffs in 2023, but things quickly fell apart. Cleveland finished 3-14 in 2024 and then went 5-12 last season.
The Haslams responded by making another big change. They fired head coach Kevin Stefanski and hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
The Browns now head into another important offseason with major questions around the roster and coaching staff. Quarterback Deshaun Watson continues his recovery from two Achilles tears. He hopes to win back the starting role from Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
At the same time, Jimmy Haslam appears ready to spend more time with the Milwaukee Bucks, where the Haslam family owns a 25% stake.
The Bucks recently hired Taylor Jenkins after the team missed the playoffs under Doc Rivers. During Jenkins’ introductory press conference earlier this month, Haslam hinted at a larger role with the NBA franchise.
“Do I think we’ll be here more? I do,” Haslam said. “And very, very excited to continue working with (GM) Jon (Horst), and we’ve already established a great relationship with Taylor – to work with he and the guys to build the kind of team that this community deserves.”
The possible Browns sale comes during a critical moment for the franchise. Cleveland continues to search for stability on the field while ownership reshapes parts of its business operations behind the scenes.
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