Petition to the National Football League and Cleveland Browns Ownership

Statement of Concern

Cleveland Browns fans are among the most loyal and long-suffering supporters in all of professional sports. For decades, this fan base has demonstrated unwavering commitment—through losing seasons, coaching changes, front-office turnover, and repeated organizational resets.

That loyalty is now being strained beyond reason.

Recent developments surrounding the Browns’ coaching search, combined with long-standing organizational instability, questionable governance optics, and growing financial demands on fans, have compelled us to speak out.

As the Cleveland region faces the prospect of significant public and private financial commitments tied to a new stadium, fans are being asked to invest more money, time, and trust into a franchise that has failed to deliver sustained stability, accountability, or competitive consistency.

Our Concerns

We, the undersigned Browns fans, civic stakeholders, and supporters of the National Football League, raise the following concerns:

• Chronic Organizational Instability
Repeated coaching changes, front-office turnover, and inconsistent long-term vision have undermined confidence in the franchise’s leadership and direction.

• Lack of Sustained Competitive Performance
Year after year, Browns fans are asked to believe that “this time will be different,” only to experience continued disappointment and regression.

• Erosion of Fan Trust
Loyalty has increasingly been treated as an obligation rather than something to be earned through transparency, accountability, and results.

• Concerns Regarding the Rooney Rule and League Hiring Standards
The NFL’s Rooney Rule exists to promote inclusive, transparent, and credible hiring practices across the league. Recent reports and publicly available information surrounding the Browns’ coaching search have raised concerns among fans that the spirit—and potentially the requirements—of this rule may not have been fully met.

Whether intentional or not, the perception that league-wide hiring standards are being sidelined contributes to a broader loss of confidence in the organization’s leadership and decision-making.

• Brand Trivialization and Erosion of Organizational Seriousness
Recent marketing and sponsorship decisions have left many fans with the perception that ownership is prioritizing novelty, shock value, and brand gimmicks over restoring credibility and competitive excellence.

• Escalating Financial Expectations on Fans and the Public
With discussions surrounding a new stadium, fans and taxpayers are being asked to shoulder tremendous financial burdens without reasonable assurance that the organization is worthy of that investment.

• A Legitimate Fear Rooted in History: Loss of the Franchise
Cleveland Browns fans are not speculating—we are remembering. This city has already lost its team once before.

• Risk to the Browns Brand and the NFL’s Reputation
A modern stadium filled with disengaged fans watching a chronically underperforming team creates reputational risk not only for the Browns, but for the NFL itself.

Our Request

We respectfully call upon the Cleveland Browns ownership and the National Football League to:

1. Acknowledge the growing loss of trust between the fan base and ownership
2. Address concerns regarding adherence to league hiring policies, including the Rooney Rule
3. Commit to transparent, measurable organizational reform
4. Provide clear assurances regarding the long-term future of the Browns in Cleveland
5. Engage in serious evaluation of the franchise’s ownership and governance structure
6. If meaningful reform is not achievable, responsibly explore a transition of ownership

Our Commitment

We want to support this team. We want to believe again.
We want a future where investing in the Cleveland Browns feels justified and secure.

Signed,
Concerned Cleveland Browns Fans, Supporters, and Stakeholders