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Yes, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has said (twice) that coach Hue Jackson will be back in 2018. In three weeks, he may feel differently.

The persistent sense in league circles is that new G.M. John Dorsey, who sat right next to Haslam throughout Sunday’s loss to the Packers, will eventually make the case for making his own hire at head coach. And if the Browns go 0-16, Dorsey’s case may be much more persuasive.

Dorsey is passionate and energetic, and if he has enough chances to communicate his views directly to Haslam, it’s possible that Haslam will change his mind. Really, what would the consequence be if Haslam declares in three weeks that we should ignore what he said about keeping Hue?

It’s not known who Dorsey would hire, if he gets the chance to hire his own coach. But it’s believed that he knows who he’d hire, which is all that really matters at this point.