Cleveland Browns: Ranking every starting QB since 1999
Jeff Garcia 2004
The Browns quarterback situation rarely found much stability in the early to mid 2000s, as the post Tim Couch era brought a slew of trades for quarterbacks along with free agency signings.
One of these signings came in early March of 2004, when the Browns thought they had a future at the quarterback position in Jeff Garcia. A former 49er, Garcia was a Pro Bowler from 2000-2002, a foreign concept to Cleveland quarterbacks at the time.
Though he didn’t perform to his capabilities during his time in Cleveland, Garcia provided a reasonable amount of stability to a position that so desperately needed it. He started 10 games in the 2004 season, winning three of them. Garcia completed 144 out of 252 pass attempts, throwing 10 touchdown passes against 9 interceptions. Quite possibly the most memorable play Garcia made was a 99-yard touchdown pass to Andre Davis to propel the Browns over division rival Cincinnati.
Due to injuries and inconsistency, Garcia was released by the Browns following the 2004 season. Garcia was a productive quarterback, but needed teammates around him to shine, and demanded solid protection from his offensive line.
The Browns could not provide either of these necessities for Garcia, which explains his struggles in Cleveland. Like most others on this list, Garcia’s career as a whole will not be remembered for his time as a Brown, but some of the other stops along the way where he was successful.
Next: No. 11: Charlie Frye