Ranking the Browns 28 Starting QB’s Since 1999
By Mitch Zoloty
No. 3: Kelly Holcomb
Kelly Holcomb was an undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State. He would make his way to the Browns in 2001 after spending time as Peyton Manning’s backup in Indianapolis. He would compete with Tim Couch for the starting job from 2001-2003, eventually beating out Couch in 2003 for good.
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Holcomb was 4-8 as the Browns starting quarterback, which is relatively good compared to the other quarterbacks on this list with five-or-more starts. He had most of his starts in 2003, where he would go 2-6. Holcomb would also be the last Browns quarterback to start in the playoffs, where he lost to the Steelers.
However, this playoff loss was not to blame on Holcomb. He had for 429 yards and while he threw ain interception, he did have three touchdown passes. This would be the highlight of Holcomb’s career in Cleveland.
Heading into the 2004 season Holcomb would only have two starts with the Browns, going 1-1 in those games. Jeff Garcia would come to the Browns and beat out Holcomb, who was cut the following offseason.
He finished his tenure with the Browns throwing for 3,438 yards with 26 touchdowns, 21 picks and a 53.7 completion percentage.
No. 2: Brian Hoyer
Brian Hoyer was an undrafted free agent from Michigan State. He eventually made his way over to the Browns for the 2013 season after time with the Patriots and Cardinals. Hoyer is the only quarterback on this list with a winning record with the Browns, going 10-6 as a starter.
He was a hometown boy, playing his high school ball at St. Ignatius.
Hoyer earned the name “Hoyer the Destroyer”after winning his first three starts in 2013 after Brandon Weeden went down due to injury. Hoyer would suffer a season ending injury against the Bills in his third start, tearing his ACL.
The next season there would be plenty of hype in the quarterback room in Cleveland. The Browns had drafted Johnny Manziel to learn under Hoyer.
Hoyer was calm and composed, leading the Browns to a great season He was 7-4 until the pressure from the media started to get to him, leading to a decline in his play. The Browns were 7-6 when they decided to switch to Johnny Manziel being the starting quarterback over Hoyer. He would never see the field again as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback.
Hoyer ended his tenure with the Browns throwing 3,917 yards with 17 score, 16 picks and 56 completion percentage.
One thing that cant be measured by statistics, was that Hoyer gave the Browns a hometown hero to root for in the NFL. During his time in Cleveland, LeBron was still in Miami. During Hoyer’s first three game win stretch, the city finally had a hometown boy trying to carry the team back to greatness for the first time in a while.