Cleveland Browns: Ranking every starting QB since 1999
Derek Anderson 2006-2009
The most successful Cleveland Browns quarterback since 1999 may not be a household name for many, but will always be remembered by Browns fans. Derek Anderson was signed by the Browns in 2005, but never saw much action until his first start in 2006. While he got off to a slow start in his second yea,r losing all three of his starts, Anderson had easily the best season of any Browns quarterback since 1999 in 2007.
Leading the Browns to a 10-6 record and falling just short of a postseason berth, Anderson completed 298 of 527 pass attempts for 3,787 total yards, and 29 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. The impressive season by Anderson ultimately earned him a Pro Bowl bid.
Anderson backed up his spectacular 2007 with a respectable 2008, before struggling in 2009. The former Brown then went on to spend one season with the Arizona Cardinals, before joining the Panthers where he remains a backup to this day.
While many Browns fans may disagree with Anderson being the team’s top quarterback since 1999, he is the only legitimate option for the honor. Anderson’s 2007 season has yet to be matched by any Cleveland quarterback since.
Though Anderson had one of the better careers for a quarterback in Cleveland, his time as a Brown was not always considered positive, and his stats, though solid, can be topped. With the bar being set rather low, the hope for Robert Griffin III is that he can top all 24 quarterbacks on this list, and become Cleveland’s first true franchise quarterback since 1999.