Shedeur Sanders nears first Browns start: Ranking Cleveland’s previous 41 QBs

You’re likely to get a shot with the Browns. You’re likely to get a look from the Browns. Since 1999 when the Browns reopened as an NFL franchise in Cleveland, at least 41 different quarterbacks started at the NFL level. The Browns have a unique quarterback carousel. This is a remarkable feat for Cleveland, but not so much for those who were forced into the role of quarterback. What if you ranked each and every man who tried – and, most of all, failed – to get the Browns off the perpetual mediocrity rut? Yes, that’s right. We ruined our workday to let you bask in nostalgia of Cleveland crashouts. Enjoy!

41. Spergon Wynn (2000) As a sixth round rookie, he made his one start and went 5 for 16 for 17 in a 48 0 loss. Gradkowski was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fill-in who played in a loss of 31-0, and he mirrored Spergon Wynn. He went 5 for 16 for 18 yard with two interceptions. He never played again for Cleveland. A fifth-rounder from UCLA, “DTR”, showed mobility, but little else. In five starts, he completed 52.6% passes, with only one touchdown and 10 interceptions.

This was his first and only NFL snap. It was his first and only NFL snap. He showed great grit on the bench. His lone start, however, included three interceptions during a 33-17 defeat.

Lewis only played in one other NFL season, and that was with the Buffalo Bills. Lewis has only played one NFL season. It was in Buffalo Bills. Davis had a good year as a fill-in, but he couldn’t handle the ball well in his two starts. He threw 3 picks.

32. Ken Dorsey 2008The former San Francisco 49ers Reserve got three consecutive starts and completed an incredible 47.3%. In a 0-3 run during which Cleveland scored 72-19.31, he threw seven interceptions and zero touchdowns. Ty Detmer (1998)As a mentor for Tim Couch, Detmer barely completed a single pass during a 43-0 loss to the Steelers in season’s opening. In the final game of the season, he almost led the Colts to a victory over Peyton Manning. Just days after joining the team, the journeyman quarterback was given the keys to the final game of the regular season. While Joe Flacco rested for the playoffs, he threw a couple touchdowns.

Kessler was a third-round USC rookie, who went 0-8 during an extended stint as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. However, he did at least look the part, as he threw six touchdowns to just two picks.

26. Doug Pederson (2000)The Eagles’ future Super Bowl winning coach, Pederson, arrived as last minute depth in September to cover a quarterback room with a lot of injuries. He then went 1-7, losing in a number of big blowouts. Jake Delhomme (2010) A former Pro Bowler at the Carolina Panthers who had a string of turnovers that followed him from Cleveland to Cleveland. He threw seven picks between injuries in just four starts. He played only one more NFL year before retiring. Dillon Gabriel (2024)A third-round draft rookie, Gabriel had seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions in six games. However, he averaged 5.1 yards a throw during a stretch of 1-5 behind ill-prepared, injured front.

Quinn was a big name coming out of Notre Dame. However, he did not start playing until Year 2, and he finished as the No. 1. He was traded by 2010 to the Denver Broncos. Once a stud in Washington as a dual threat, “RG3” had become damaged goods by the time he arrived in Cleveland. And the experiment was short-lived. After just five games, an injury ended his career as a top-tier quarterback. The expectations were high for “Johnny”. Football” after he arrived as a first-rounder following an exhilarating run at Texas A&M, but he’s best known for the infamous partying that derailed his career. He was an inconsistent quarterback on the gridiron. In eight starts he threw as many touchdowns (seven), as he did picks.

Shedeur’s NFL debut had a bad history, but there were also deeper concerns.

Douglas Clawson

20. Watson’s price might even warrant a lower ranking. Watson, who was acquired by the Buffalo Bills via trade, is most well-known in Cleveland for being the player that bridged the gap between a rookie Baker Mayfield. The former Buffalo Bills quarterback was erratic during a 1-1-1 streak with the Browns.

17. Jason Campbell (2013)A Washington first-rounder who was passed over for Brian Hoyer in order to replace Brandon Weeden when he became injured, Campbell still managed eight starts in his season at Cleveland. Frye was at best so-so. He had a promising debut, breaking the record for a single-game passer’s rating as a rookie, but then crashed back down to earth with 17 interceptions during a 4-9. Seneca Wallace, 2010-2011: Wallace, a former Seattle Seahawks backup, took over for Jake Delhomme when he was injured. Wallace had just one victory in seven starts, but he started out well, with four touchdowns, and an 88.5 passer rating. Brandon Weeden (2012)-2013Despite being the brunt of many jokes, the Browns selected Oklahoma State’s Oklahoma State product in the first round at the age of 28. He was inconsistent from the start, tossing 26 interceptions across 25 games. The Oklahoma State product went just 5-15 during his tenure as the Browns’ No. Winston was the NFL’s first-choice signal-caller. One of its most colorful personalities and a player with a lot of personality, Winston ended up as he is today, a big play hunter. He finished his career with 12 interceptions to 13 touchdowns. Even so, he brought some zest to offense. Trent Dilfer (2005) A Super Bowl champion five years prior with the Ravens, Dilfer had a one-year stint that was marred by discord between the offensive staff. He had more picks (12), than touchdowns (11), across 11 starts. A third-round selection out of Texas McCoy was never able to settle into the role as “the guy,” however, his scrappiness in Year 2 as a 13 game starter, when he threw fourteen touchdowns to eleven picks, led him to a 12 year career as a Journeyman No. 2.10. Case Keenum (2021)A career journeyman who peaked as a Minnesota Vikings starter four years prior, Keenum went 2-0 as a spot starter in place of an injured Baker Mayfield, moving the ball reasonably well with three scores and one pick. Case Keenum, 2021: A career journeyman and former Minnesota Vikings starter who was injured, Keenum started a spot-starting role in place Baker Mayfield and went 2-0, scoring three touchdowns with one pick. He was passable if not spectacular in a 4- 7 stretch as the No. 1 but it’s more than many can say about their time in Cleveland. Kelly Holcomb (2102-04)The former Colts back-up quarterback started no more than 8 games in each of his four seasons in Cleveland, but had the most impressive playoff performance by any quarterback ever in Browns history. He threw 429 yard and three touchdowns during a wild card shootout against the Steelers to end the 2002 season. Brian Hoyer (2013-2014)Originally Tom Brady’s backup in New England, Hoyer got 16 different starts across two years in Cleveland and inspired an improbable amount of confidence as a late-game scrapper, leading five different fourth-quarter comebacks. It was just a flash for a No. The combined 10-6 record was enough to make it a career No. Joe Flacco (2023, 2025). Flacco, who had just been benched during his second stint at the club, only has nine combined starts for the Browns. The former Ravens star and Super Bowl winner provided stability in 2023 as a last minute injury replacement, opening up the passing game downfield en route for a surprise postseason appearance. Tim Couch (1999-2003). The Kentucky product is synonymous with the Browns’ endless quarterback conundrum. The fact that he was the No. 1 pick in the expansion team of the franchise, and showed first-round pocket passing ability, for five years, is nothing short of a miracle. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (2018-2021)He is more reliable today as the Buccaneers’ leader. But Mayfield showed his trademark tenacity in Cleveland as No. 1 pick. Even though he was willing to play through pain in order to save a sagging roster, his forced throws resulted in 21 picks as a second year vet. He may have indirectly required a Browns split to become the player he is now, but he made Cleveland scrappy within a short time frame, culminating in a strong performance in the 2020 playoffs.

2025-11-19 21:35:30