The Cleveland Browns are making a big push to hire Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson as their next head coach, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. Jackson has become one of the hottest coaching candidates this offseason, and is reportedly also the clear front-runner for the 49ers head-coaching vacancy. The New York Giants have requested permission to interview the coveted offensive coordinator as well.
The Browns are making a serious push for Jackson, and have become a legitimate contender to land him as they have offered a big say in personnel, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. The Giants will likely have to wait until Thursday to interview Jackson, as co-owner John Mara will be attending the NFL owners meetings in Houston on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Bengals offensive coordinator was a head coach for the Oakland Raiders for one season and posted a record of 8-8. Teams are reportedly interested Jackson because of his experience as a head coach and the work he has done with quarterbacks over his career. The Bengals fell short in the first round of the playoffs this past weekend, but were missing their starting quarterback, Andy Dalton. The Bengals franchise quarterback had shown strong improvement under Jackson this year, and multiple teams are likely taking notice of that.
The Browns still have not found a general manager, and reports have surfaced that multiple top candidate general managers are not interested in the position. It will be interesting to see if Jackson makes a commitment to the Browns, or if he waits and takes an interview with the Giants and weighs his options. Jackson has clearly become one of the top coaching candidates this offseason, and offering a big say in control of personnel could be a major factor in where lands as head coach.
