Browns’ $100M Stadium Settlement Still Faces Cleveland City Hurdles

A large-scale settlement between the Browns and the city of Cleveland was designed to bring peace to a long-fractious situation. That hasn’t happened yet.

The Browns’ $100 million settlement deal with the city of Cleveland, struck two weeks ago, was designed to end years of political and legal friction, but the resolution is not yet final—providing yet another wrinkle on the team’s long-running stadium saga.

The city council, which must approve the deal, is pushing for potential improvements, and more political wrangling is expected in the next several weeks. Cleveland’s planning commission approved the pact Friday by a 5–1 margin, but that was an expected prelude before an upcoming council vote.

“You have laid with the dogs, and now you have fleas,” council member Brian Kazy said earlier this month regarding Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Bibb, however, said the pact represents the final offer from Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

“At this stage, the deal is the current deal,” Bibb said. “[The Haslams] have not indicated that they’re open to material changes.”

Furthering that, city of Cleveland senior advisor Jessica Trivisonno told the planning commission that the Browns deal “is not an a-la-carte solution, where we get to pick and choose pieces we want to approve or disapprove.”

The settlement is designed to pave the way for the $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development to be built in suburban Brook Park, Ohio. The planned facility, near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, has been beset with a lengthy series of political and legal obstacles, but a groundbreaking is planned for early next year. The Browns intend to open the new stadium in 2029.

There is also an immediate timing element at play, as the first obligation in the settlement deal is on Dec. 1, when the Haslams will pay the city $25 million in the first and largest chunk of a series of planned payments.

Lions Jared Goff Will Make Special Guest Appearance on 'ManningCast'

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is scheduled to make an appearance this week on ESPN's 'ManningCast,' which is hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning.

Detroit's veteran signal-caller is scheduled to appear midway through the first half during the Kansas City Chiefs home contest against the Washington Commanders.

Last week, the 31-year-old was asked how much growth he had found in his later years of playing the game of football at the highest level.

“A ton. I mean my later years, yeah. Yeah, for now, yes. A ton really. I mean I really have. You work every offseason to find that one percent and I feel like I’ve worked hard to try to find that every year and try to get better, improve on things," said Goff. "I feel like I have improved on some things and always looking to improve.

"I think at my position in quarterback, you do have a little bit of a longer runway to continue to see things and get better and your physical prowess isn’t quite as important as you get older," Goff added. "It’s more mental and getting rid of the ball and being accurate and that whole thing. So, it’s stuff I work on and it’s paid dividends in the last few years.”

More respect

NFL reporter Diani Russini recently spoke to a high-ranking league source and what she heard back has been discussed by many Lions' supporters.

Since Goff was traded to Detroit, he has steadily improved and is now leading one of the top scoring offenses in the league.

Since he was essentially discarded by the Rams, many believed that the former No. 1 overall pick was simply a bridge quarterback in Motown.

Instead, he has become one of the most accurate passers and is currently in the prime of his NFL career.

"It's been hard for people to get past the fact that Sean McVay got rid of him," a high-ranking league source expressed. "That's why people thought he wasn't good. But they need to move on and see what he's doing now."

Detroit currently is averaging 30.7 points per game, despite having a new offensive coordinator at the helm.

Accordint to Russini, "Yes, Dan Campbell deserves credit. The well-caffeinated force of nature has turned around this franchise alongside GM Brad Holmes, and a big part of that was restoring confidence in his QB. Their faith in him helped change his own belief. This isn’t the same Jared Goff who shrank under Super Bowl pressure years ago. And it’s time people noticed."