Jimmy Haslam officially became the majority owner of the Cleveland Browns during the 2012 NFL season. During that time, the Browns have had an 0-16 and a 1-15 season, but they have also made the playoffs twice.
Overall, there have been more bad times than good, both on and off the field. The 72-year-old is fully aware of this, and he wants you to know that he feels your pain.
Speaking at this year’s training camp, Haslam admitted to the issue that keeps him awake at night, and it’s how the Browns have let their fans down during his family’s time in charge.
“Our on-field performance is something that keeps us awake at night. When it’s unacceptable, we hate it the most for our fans. They deserve better than that. So, we’re working hard every day to not have that same kind of performance we’ve had in the past,” Haslam said.
#Browns owner Jimmy Haslam says the on-field performance has kept him and Dee awake at night: pic.twitter.com/KVmx2UaGjS
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 31, 2026
Since being reinstated into the NFL in 1999, the Browns have finished last in their division 18 times in those 27 seasons. After making the playoffs in the 2002 campaign, Cleveland finished last in the AFC North 13 times in the next 15 years, spanning the transition from former owner Randy Lerner to Haslam.
It looked like the Browns were about to turn the corner after Haslam hired Kevin Stefanski for the 2020 season, hopefully ending a revolving door of head coaches and starting quarterbacks. Cleveland made the playoffs in Stefanski’s first season, and he won NFL Coach of the Year with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
Things changed for the worse when the Browns made an ill-fated deal for quarterback Deshaun Watson during the 2022 offseason, a move Haslam has since called a “big swing and miss.” They moved on from Mayfield, trading him to the Carolina Panthers, and even though Cleveland got back to the playoffs in the 2023 campaign with Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco at quarterback, the past two seasons of eight wins combined led to Stefanski’s firing and yet another QB dilemma.
Ironically, the current quarterback competition still includes Watson, who has played just 19 of 68 possible regular-season games during his time with the Browns. It has come at the cost of a $230 million fully guaranteed contract and the loss of multiple draft picks that held the team back considerably.
Now, with a new head coach in Todd Monken and another highly regarded rookie class, Haslam hopefully will be able to get some sound sleep this season.
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