The Cleveland Browns have had a mess trying to find a starting quarterback. Here we take a look at their past 28 starting quarterbacks and rank them.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback position seems to have a handful of new faces every year. The position is like the Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor position at Hogwarts.
This year the Browns have an idea of who the 29th, 30th, and possibly the 31st starting quarterbacks could be. They have added Tyrod Taylor, Drew Stanton, and Baker Mayfield.
Taylor should be the starter Week 1, making him the 29th starting quarterback for the Browns since 1999. The plan in the Browns organization seems to be to make Baker Mayfield lucky number 30 and have him eventually take the job from Taylor.
The Browns signed Drew Stanton to be the backup quarterback in case Taylor gets hurt, and if they don’t believe Mayfield is ready, Stanton could end up being the 30th quarterback, and Mayfield eventually the 31st.
No matter how this season turns out, the Browns finally seem to have the quarterback room in order. Cleveland currently has arguably one of the best quarterback rooms in the NFL. Yes, you read that correctly. The combined talent of Taylor, a top 20 QB in the league, and Mayfield, the number one overall pick, puts them in that conversation. Stanton also has some value as a good backup.
The Browns haven’t always had this much quarterback talent, so let’s look back at the trio’s 28 predecessors. They are ranked by their talent and production during their tenure with the Browns.
No. 28: Bruce Gradkowski
I’m sure everyone remembers the Bruce Gradkowski era of Cleveland football. Bruce was a sixth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was never really meant to be the future of a franchise.
He played college ball at the University of Toledo and his rookie year with the Buccaneers showed some promise, but nothing ever developed. Coming to the Browns late in the 2008 season, after the Browns went 10-6, he was never meant to start.
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An injury to Derek Anderson brought him to the roster. Injuries to Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey opened up the opportunity for him to start. He started the last game of the season and gave a lackluster performance.
Against the then 12-3 Steelers, Gradkowski had a terrible game in a 31-0 loss. Gradkowski ended that one throwing for 18 yards, two picks and only completed 5-of-16 passes. In comparison, Josh Cribbs threw for eight yards in that game, completing 1-of-2 passes. Dave Zastudil would punt six times for a whopping 288 yards, which was double the amount of yards the browns had that game.
This would be the only game Gradkowski would get to start as a Cleveland Brown. He was cut in the off-season. No one should have expected much out of Bruce Gradkowski as the Cleveland Browns starter, but his performance was unexpectedly bad.
No. 27: Spergon Wynn
Cleveland selected Spergon Wynn from Texas State University in the sixth-round of the 2000 NFL draft with the 183rd pick. The Browns already had former first overall pick Tim Couch on the roster, along with Doug Pederson, so he was not expected to be a franchise savior.
Being a late round draft pick, he was selected to hopefully develop into a good backup.
Wynn had only one start in his tenure with the Browns, a 48-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This game the Browns offense was only able to get two first downs, compared to the Jaguars 28.
Wynn would only complete five of his 16 passes, for a total of 17 yards. However, unlike Gradkowski, he had at least had no interceptions in his lone start.
Wynn would not see action as a Browns quarterback ever again after this season. He would later be traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Wynn would be one of the first of many names on the seemingly endless list of Browns quarterbacks.
No. 26: Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey, like the previous quarterbacks on this list, was never meant to be a franchise quarterback. The 49ers drafted Ken Dorsey out of The University of Miami in the seventh round. He made his way to the Browns in a trade where Trent Dilfer went to the 49ers in exchange for Dorsey and a seventh round pick.
Dorsey would only start three games for the Browns, going 0-3 during this stint. He would lose to a 12-1 Titans, 8-5-1 Eagles, and the 3-11-1 Bengals. Dorsey was hurt in the Bengals game and replaced by Bruce Gradkowski, ending his career as a Cleveland Brown.
He would be released that offseason, never making another NFL roster again. His career as a Cleveland Brown would end with no touchdowns, seven interceptions, 370 yards, and a 46.7 completion percentage.
Dorsey is now the assistant director of athletics at FIU (Florida International University) after a stint as the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers. He helped coach Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on their Super Bowl run.
No. 25: Connor Shaw
Connor Shaw was an undrafted free agent out of the University of South Carolina. The Browns picked him up to be the third string quarterback behind Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Shaw had a strong preseason and was brought on to the practice squad for most of the year.
As the crazy 2014 season would play out, Shaw would earn the opportunity to start against the Ravens in Week 17. Browns fans were on a roller-coaster of emotions that season as it ended on a five-game losing streak, after being 7-4 at one point.
Shaw would lose this start to a 10-6 Ravens team, putting up below average stats. He was 14-of-28 for 177 yards and an interception against a stout Ravens defense. The final score of this game was 20-10, with Shaw playing in his last regular season game as a Brown.
Connor Shaw is now the Tight Ends coach at Furman University.
No. 24: Deshone Kizer
This was a name many hoped would be higher on this list. Kizer was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Browns out of the University of Notre Dame. Many fans thought Deshone Kizer could be the end of the infamous quarterback jersey, especially after his decent first start against a talented Steelers defense.
Kizer would go 20-30 for 222 yards with a pick and a touchdown pass. He performed much better than the stats told, especially for a 21-year old rookie quarterback.
The Browns dropped the game 21-18, but many fans saw this game as a beacon of hope for the future. Take away one major blunder on special teams that led to a Steelers touchdown, and the Browns start the season 1-0. It didn’t happen though and their season wouldn’t get much better than this.
Kizer would start 15 of the 16 games this season, losing all 15. The Browns were 0-16 for the first time in franchise history — and just the second to ever hit the low mark, the other team being the 2008 Detroit Lions.
Over his 15 games, Kizer would throw 11 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, along with 2,894 yards, completing 53.6 percent of his passes.
Kizer was traded in the off-season to the Green Bay Packers for defensive back Damarious Randall and a swap of some picks.
No. 23: Luke McCown
Luke McCown is the first of the McCown brothers to appear on this list, as his brother, Josh, had a better time as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback. He was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round of the 2004 draft out of Louisiana Tech. He was a career backup, playing 10 seasons in the NFL, only starting 10 games.
Four of those 10 games were with the Browns during his rookie season. He would end up going winless over those games, losing to the the 11-1 Patriots, 7-6 Bills, 11-3 Chargers, and the 4-11 Dolphins.
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Luke McCown’s rookie season wound up being his only season with the Browns, finishing with four scores and seven picks while completing just 49 percent of his passes for 608 yards.
The Buccaneers traded for Luke McCown before the 2005 NFL draft.
No. 22: Austin Davis
Austin Davis was an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi. After a decent stint as the starting quarterback for the Rams, he signed with the Cleveland Browns in September of 2015.
However, Davis was never really signed to the Browns to be the starter — like many on this list. Johnny Manziel was in the second year of his career and seemed like the Browns future. Davis would only get to start two games for Cleveland and lost both.
These were a 37-3 loss to a then 10-2 Bengals and a 28-12 loss to a 10-6 Steelers team. Davis was 25-of-38 for 230 yards and an interception in the loss to the Bengals, and 24-of-46 for 240 yards and 2 more picks against the Steelers.
Davis would later be released in August of 2016.
No. 21: Kevin Hogan
Kevin Hogan was a good college quarterback out of Stanford, but his talents didn’t translate over into an NFL offense that well. Hogan was a fifth round pick by the Chiefs during John Dorsey’s tenure there.
After being released by the Chiefs, he was quickly picked up by the Browns, where he was placed on the practice squad. He eventually would see time in a game against the Bengals, due to an injury to Cody Kessler. Hogan would set the record for the longest rushing touchdown by a Browns quarterback, but would eventually lose the game.
Hogan would earn one start in the horrendous 2017 season and see some memorable snaps.
Week 2, during Deshone Kizer’s migraine game, he entered the game to replace Kizer. Week 5, Hogan again replaced Kizer and almost lead a comeback against the Jets, going a respectable 16-of-19 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.
This would be enough to earn him the starting job for Week 6, officially putting his name on the quarterback jersey. The Browns lost to the Texans 33-17 as Hogan was 20-of-27 for 140 yards with just one touchdown but three interceptions.
This starting stint would not be long lived. His poor Week 6 performance earned Kizer the starting job back.
The following offseason Hogan was dealt to the Redskins — after requesting a trade — and is currently on their roster.
No. 20: Thad Lewis
Thaddeus Lewis, Thad for short, was an undrafted free agent from Duke. After being released from the Rams, the Browns claimed him in 2011. However, he wouldn’t see the field till the 2012 season.
Lewis was given the opportunity to start Week 17 against the Steelers. The Browns dropped this game to a Steelers team that would finish 8-8 by a score of 24-10. This loss wasn’t on Lewis though.
The young signal caller had a decent game, going 22-of-32 for 204 yards with a touchdown and interceptions apiece. This was pretty impressive, counting the low hopes many had for him, and the fact that it was against a pretty darn good Steelers defense. These stats won’t amaze anyone, but it was a good outing for the quarterback who hadn’t taken a regular season snap since college.
Sadly, this would be the last start Thad would get as a Browns quarterback. He was waived in the offseason and eventually make his way to Buffalo where he started five games for them, going 2-3.
Bruce Feldman reports that he is now an offensive analyst at UCLA, under head coach Chip Kelly.
No. 19: Doug Pederson
Many Browns fans wish that Doug Pederson was still a Cleveland Brown. However, most aren’t wanting him as the starting quarterback.
Pederson has had a great career as a head coach in the NFL so far, winning the past Super Bowl with the Eagles. However, Pederson has not always seen Super Bowl caliber success in the NFL.
During his career as a player, Pederson was a below average quarterback. He was an undrafted free agent out of Northeast Louisiana and bounced around the NFL for a few years. Eventually, he made his way to the Browns in 2000.
After an injury to Tim Couch, Pederson would earn 8 starts as a Brown. He would only win one of them, a 19-11 win over a then 2-8 New England Patriots team.
Doug would end his stint in a Cleveland uniform with two touchdown passes, but four times as many picks. He also had just a mediocre 55.7 completion percentage.
His first stint with the Browns was not ideal, but could a second stint as a head coach be coming soon? Most likely not. One could hope, though.
No. 18: Robert Griffin III
Before coming to Cleveland in 2016, Robert Griffin III, better known as RGIII, was almost a Brown in 2012. The Rams chose the Redskins as trading partners over the Browns, and let the Redskins select RGIII with the second overall pick.
After a few seasons with the Redskins, RGIII would make his way to the Browns to try to revive his career. He would start five games for the Browns in 2016, losing four of them.
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Starting Week 1 versus the Eagles, RGII was 12-of-26 for 190 yards and an interception before suffering a shoulder injury that would hold him out until week 14. Griffin would get his one win against the Chargers in Week 16, putting up 164 yards — and helping the team barely avoid the 0-16 fate they ended up suffering the following season.
RGIII was released by the Browns after a season and is currently a backup quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens — although he was completely out of football in 2017.
No. 17: Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace was a fourth round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2003 NFL draft, out of Iowa State. He would eventually make his way over to the Cleveland Browns in 2010.
He had four starts early in his first season with the Browns, losing three of the four. These would be a Week 2 16-14 loss the Chiefs, a Week 3 24-17 to the Ravens, a Week 4 23-20 win against the Bengals, and then a Week 5 20-10 loss to the Falcons.
Wallace would go down with an injury against the Falcons, and not start the rest of the season.
Seneca earned three more starts in the 2011 season, losing all three. These were to a 7-7 Cardinals, 11-4 Ravens, and a 12-4 Steelers.
In his sole win as a Browns quarterback, he was okay with 18-of-30 passes, 184 yards, one score and a turnover. He was released from the Browns after the 2012 preseason.
After his tenure as the Browns starting quarterback, he would eventually find his way to the Packers, becoming the first African-American to start a game for the Packers, but was unfortunately hurt early on in that game.
No. 16: Johnny Manziel
Oh, boy. This might be the most disappointing one on this list. Johnny Manziel, or also known as Johnny Football, was a quarterback the Browns drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft with the 22nd selection. Many fans loved this pick, while many also hated it. But that is what Johnny was, a polarizing player.
If you knew of Manziel, you either loved him, or hated him. His controversial lifestyle was something that the media ate up. After becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman, many thought he could be the man to do the impossible: end the Browns quarterback jersey meme. Sadly, he wasn’t the man for the job.
Cleveland brought Johnny in and let him sit for a bit underneath veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer. The Browns put a short leash on Hoyer, pulling him for Johnny once Hoyer’s play started to slip — even though Hoyer had led the Browns to be 7-6 record, the best the team had seen since 2007.
Manziel got his first start Week 15 against the Bengals and had one of the worst performances I have ever seen from an NFL quarterback.
Losing the game 30-0, Manziel would throw 10-of-18 for only 80 yards and a couple interceptions. There were multiple other passes that should’ve been intercepted, but were dropped. In his defense, the Bengals were 9-4-1 at the time and had a great defense.
The next week Manziel would start the game and had just 32 yards on less than 50 percent passing before going down with a Hamstring injury. Hoyer would come in to replace, going for 134 yards, but they still ended up losing the game 17-13.
Manziel’s next start would come Week 2 of 2015 against the Titans, after Josh McCown got hurt against the Jets in Week 1. Manziel would have a great performance, leading the Browns to a 28-14 win over the Titans, netting 172 yards and two touchdowns
Johnny would win one more game as a Cleveland Browns quarterback, this would be a 24-10 win against a then 4-9 49ers team in Week 14. Johnny would throw 21-of-31, 270 yards, a pick and touchdown.
His best performance as a Brown would come against the Steelers in Week 10. Despite the Browns losing 30-9, Manziel would perform pretty well in completing 33 passes for 372 yards.
Manziel’s time with the Browns would be plagued with immaturity and videos of him partying on bye weeks, so he was eventually released in the following offseason. He finished his Browns career completing 57 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and seven picks on 1,675 yards. The one stat that mattered though was a 2-6 record as a starter.
Many reporters have compared the Cleveland Browns #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to Johnny, due to their similar media reputations, but that is just lazy reporting. Baker does not have nearly as many off the field problems. The two quarterbacks also have different skill sets, despite both being quite mobile.
Johnny Manziel is currently trying to get back into the NFL and should get another shot if he matures. However, that’s a big if. He did take a good step recently by heading north to play in the CFL.
No. 15: Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer is a former Heisman winner out of the Brigham Young University (BYU). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 9th round of the 1992 draft. He came to the Cleveland Browns through a trade with the 49ers in 1999.
Fun fact for the younger Browns fans out there, Detmer was the first Browns starting quarterback since the return in 1999. He would earn two starts as a Cleveland Brown, Week 1 and Week 17 of that season. Both would be losses.
For the older Browns fans out there, you will remember the first loss, to the Steelers. The Browns came out flat and lost by a final score of 43-0.
Detmer would throw for 53 yards and a pick on 6-of-13 passinf, which seemed like it would be his last start as a Brown. Being replaced by Tim Couch in Week 2, things seemed to be back to the bench for Detmer.
He would reemerge as the Browns starting quarterback in Week 17, after an injury to Couch. Detmer would lead the Browns to almost pulling off an incredible upset, losing 29-28 to a then 13-2 Colts team.
He would finish his career as a Cleveland Brown throwing for four touchdowns, two interceptions, 548 yards, and a completion percentage of 51.6.
Detmer most recently was the offensive coordinator for BYU, but was recently let go.
No. 14: Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn was the first of the three quarterback busts the Cleveland Browns have used the 22nd pick in a draft on. The other two being Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel. Hopefully this is the last time the 22nd pick and the Browns should ever be mentioned again in the same sentence.
The Browns selected Brady Quinn with their second pick in the first-round of the 2007 NFL Draft, after taking Joe Thomas with their first. Quinn would be able to sit behind Derek Anderson for his rookie year.
Quinn earned 12 starts in his time as the Browns starting quarterback, only winning three of them. His first start would be a 34-30 loss to the Broncos. This was not due to Brady Quinn, who had a good game, throwing for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. These touchdowns would both be to Kellen Winslow.
Quinn would win his next game against the Bills, but broke his finger in the 29-27 victory. He made an attempt to play the next game against the Texans, which would be a loss, but was then sidelined for the rest of the season.
He was back under center for Week 1 in the 2009 season, but be benched for Derek Anderson by Week 3. Eventually, Quinn would be thrown back in for Week 10 and managed two wins against the Steelers and Chiefs in weeks 14 and 15. He would total for about 120 yards over those two games.
The Week 15 win against the Chiefs would be Jerome Harrison’s incredible 286 yard game. Harrison rushed for three touchdowns to go along with those 286 yards. Josh Cribbs would also have two 100-plus-yard kickoff returns to carry the Browns to a 41-34 victory, despite the quarterback gaining just 66 yards and having a couple turnovers.
The following offseason he would be traded to the Broncos for Peyton Hillis. Quinn would finish his tenure as the Browns starting quarterback with 10 touchdowns, nine picks, 1,902 yards and a 52.1 completion percentage.
No. 13: Cody Kessler
Cody Kessler: the best Cleveland Browns quarterback to never win a game. An interesting title, to say the least. Kessler was a third-round pick by the Browns in the 2016 NFL draft, playing his college ball at USC. His biggest problem was his lack of arm strength, which has held him back from being a good starter in the NFL.
Kessler was thrown into the fire early, starting in Week 3 of the 2016 season. This was an overtime loss to the Dolphins, by a score of 30-24. This was mostly due to Cody Parkey’s three missed field goals.
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Kessler played quite well, going 21-of-33 for 244 yards. He was assisted by Terrelle Pryor, who had eight catches for 144 yards.
The theme of this season would be the Browns losing close games in pretty much any way possible, as they would finish a miserable 1-15. Kessler did have a decent rookie season, but never start another Browns game again after losing to the Steelers in Week 11.
The following season Kessler would see some playing time as the backup, but seemed to have lost a step. His performances were drastically worse than the previous season.
Kessler would finish his Browns career with an 0-8 record, tossing six touchdowns, three interceptions. He did have 1,506 yards, and a respectable 63.8 completion percentage though.
In the 2018 offseason, Kessler would be traded to the Jaguars and is currently a backup quarterback there.
No. 12: Jake Delhomme
One of the few quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl on this list, he did so with the Carolina Panthers, not the Browns. The Browns got Jake Delhomme near the end of his career. Delhomme was an undrafted quarterback out of Southwestern Louisiana, playing for the Saints, Panthers, Browns, and Texans.
During his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, he would start four games, winning two of them. The 2-2 record alone sets him apart from many of the quarterbacks before him on this list.
Delhomme’s first start as a Browns quarterback would be a 17-14 loss to the Buccaneers as the veteran threw for 227 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Unfortunately, he wound up getting hurt in the game.
Delhomme’s next start would be against the Panthers Week 12, securing a win over the team he once guided to the Super Bowl.
The following week Delhomme would get the nod again, starting against the then 6-6 Miami Dolphins. He led the Browns to a 13-10 win in this game with 217 yards passing and a score.
This would be the final game Delhomme would win as a Browns starting quarterback, as he was notified of his releasedthe following offseason.
With the Browns, the veteran was 2-2 as a starter, with a couple touchdowns but seven picks. He had 842 yards through the air with a 62.4 completion percentage.
His touchdown-to-interception ratio is pretty horrid, especially compared to Jason Campbell and Cody Kessler. He got the nod ahead of Kessler on this list due to his ability to lead the team to a .500 record.
No. 11: Brandon Weeden
Brandon Weeden is a name that will forever be etched into Browns fans minds. The 22nd pick in the 2012 draft by the Cleveland Browns was already 28 years old when he was drafted. The Browns took him over younger quarterbacks they could’ve gotten in later rounds, like Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, or even Nick Foles.
Weeden’s tenure with the Browns was rather long in comparison to some other names on this list. He would start 20 games for the Browns, going 5-15 over those 20 games.
He would start Week 1 of his rookie year against the Eagles. His performance was impressively bad. The Browns lost to the Eagles 17-16 and Weeden was 12-of-35 with four picks.
The oldest rookie quarterback’s first win as a Browns quarterback would come against the Bengals in Week 6, a 34-24 win against the then 3-3 Bengals. Weeden would throw 17-of-29, 231 yards, two touchdowns — but of course still a pick. He did have an impressive 71-yard pass to Josh Gordon for his first score.
He would later beat the Chargers in Week 8, having a not so impressive game. Weeden would lead the Browns on a three game win streak from weeks 12-14, beating the Steelers, Raiders, and Chiefs.
The Week 14 win against the Chiefs was the last win Weeden would have as a Browns quarterback. That game would be highlighted by two rushing touchdowns by Trent Richardson, and a 93-yard punt return by Travis Benjamin.
The following season Weeden would start five games, losing them all. Weeden’s last start would be a miserable game against the Packers, losing 31-13. The former baseball player was benched for Jason Campbell for the rest of the season.
Weeden would be released the following offseason, finishing his tenure with the Browns with 23 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, 5,116 yards, and a 55.9 completion percentage.
No. 10: Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is one of the more accomplished quarterbacks on this list. If we were comparing whole careers, he would most likely be higher on the list. Campbell was a first round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in the 2005 NFL Draft.
He later made his way to the Browns in 2013, after inking a two-year deal with the franchise. He would serve as a backup to Brandon Weeden. Eventually, after injuries to both Weeden and Brian Hoyer, he earned eight starts with the team, going 1-7 in these games.
His first two starts he performed pretty well as the starting quarterback. The first would be a 23-17 loss to the then 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs. Campbell would have a great game, throwing 296 yards with two touchdowns. Things were looking good for Campbell as the starting Browns signal caller.
The next week, he would have another great game against the Ravens. Campbell and the Cleveland Browns marched straight into Baltimore to win the game 24-18. Campbell would throw 23-of-35 for 262 yards and three touchdowns, including two to wide out Davone Bess.
That performance eanrned Campbell the AFC offensive player of the week award — not bad to hear about a Browns’ quarterback, right?
Things would go downhill for him and the Browns from here, as he would lose the rest of his starts. The following offseason, he and Brandon Weeden were both released by the Browns.
No. 9: Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer might be the most accomplished quarterback on this list. He was drafted with the sixth pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers. Dilfer would be somewhat of a journeyman quarterback, making his way to the Ravens and winning a Super Bowl. After his tenure with the Ravens, he would go to the Seahawks. He would make his way to the Cleveland Browns for the 2005 season, after a trade with the Seahawks.
Dilfer started 11 games in his tenure with the Browns, going 4-7. His first game would be a 27-13 loss to the Bengals where he had 278 yards, but two interceptions. He did have one touchdown, which was be a 68-yard pass to Frisman Jackson.
Dilfer would win games against the Packers, Bears, Titans, and Dolphins in his tenure with the Browns. Week 13 he was benched for Charlie Frye, and didn’t start another game for Cleveland. The following offseason he would be traded again, this time making his way to the 49ers.
Dilfer finished his tenure with the Browns with a 59.8 completion percentage, 11 touchdowns, 12 picks, and 2,321 yards. The 59.8 completion percentage would be the highest of his career.
No. 8: Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia was an undrafted quarterback out of San Jose State. After a few years with the 49ers, he made his way to the Cleveland Browns.
Garcia earned 10 starts in his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, going 3-7 over those 10. He would start Week 1 of the 2004 season, getting a win against the Ravens. It was a 20-3 win, where Garcia played pretty well. He would throw for 180 yards on 15-of-24 passing with a single scoring pass. He would later beat the Redskins and then the Bengals during the season.
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In his final win as the Browns starting quarterback, he defeated a 1-4 Bengals team by a score of 34-17. Garcia would open the game off with a 99-yard touchdown pass to Andre’ Davis. That would be one of four touchdowns he would throw that game. Eventually Luke McCown would take over the starting job, ending Garcia’s time with the Browns.
Garcia was released and signed with the Lions the next season. He would finish his time with the Browns with 10 touchdowns, 9 picks, 1,731 yards, and 57.1 completion percentage.
No. 7: Charlie Frye
Charlie Frye was the other kid from Akron. Taken by the Browns in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft, he was expected to sit and become the future quarterback.
Frye sat behind Trent Dilfer for most of his rookie year, eventually earning his first start in Week 13. Despite the 20-14 loss to the Jaguars, Frye showed a lot of promise in the game. He threw a pair of scoress to Braylon Edwards. Along with those passes, Frye completed 13-of-20 for 226 yards.
Frye would get his first NFL win in a 9-7 game against the Raiders. He would have an okay game throwing for 198 yards and an interception. That season, he would also help lead the Browns to a 20-16 win in Week 17 against the Ravens.
Frye would get to start Week 1 for the next season, earning 13 starts that year, with just four wins and nine losses. His last win as a Cleveland Browns starting quarterback would be Week 13 against the Chiefs, where he was injured and cleared the way for Derek Anderson to take over.
Frye would earn the starting job after a quarterback battle with Anderson for the 2007 season, but quickly be replaced in Week 1 after a bad start.
Frye was traded to the Seahawks the following season.
No. 6: Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy was a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns out of the University of Texas in the 2010 draft. Colt was another quarterback that the Browns had planned to develop and was supposed to sit behind Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace while learning the NFL ropes.
McCoy would be thrown into the fire earlier than most had expected, due to injuries to Delhomme and Wallace. He would get his first start Week 6 his rookie year against the Steelers and ended up with eight starts and a 2-6 record.
Despite a pair of interceptions in his debut, McCoy had himself a good night. Completing 23-of-33 for 281 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ben Watson, the future looked bright for the 3rd round draft pick.
The next week, the rookie didn’t look so hot, despite the Browns getting him his first NFL win as a starting quarterback, the rookie had just 74 yards passing. David Bowens would carry the Browns himself with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
McCoy got his last win of the season the next week, against the Patriots. It was a 34-14 victory where he received a good amount of help from Peyton Hillis, who had two rushing touchdowns. McCoy has 174 yards and a 16-yard rushing touchdown himself.
The following season, Colt McCoy would start 13 games, going 4-9 in those. He would rack up wins against the Colts, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Jaguars.
The Jaguars win was his last win as a Cleveland starting quarterback. The final score was 14-10. Colt had a 3 yard touchdown pass to Josh Cribbs. He finished the game throwing 17-of-24, 199 yards, a touchdown and pick.
Week 14 of this season would be Colt’s final start as a Cleveland Brown. This was his infamous concussion game, full of controversy over the last drive. Despite getting a concussion, the Browns would make him go back out there and play concussed. Needless to say, the Browns would lose this game 14-3.
The 2012 season saw McCoy serve as a backup to Brandon Weeden. The following offseason he was traded to the 49ers. He would end his tenure with the Cleveland Browns throwing for 21 touchdowns, 20 picks, 4,388 yards, and a 58.3 completion percentage. His final record as the starting quarterback was 6-15.
No. 5: Josh McCown
If you were to look up “journeyman quarterback” in the dictionary, a photo of Josh McCown would appear. Josh was a third-round draft pick out of Sam Houston State by the Arizona Cardinals in 2002. Throughout his magical career, he would play for eight teams, and have a whopping 10 different jerseys. Josh has more NFL jerseys than his daughter has friends willing to wear said jerseys.
McCown would make his way to the Cleveland Browns in 2015 after his stint with the Buccaneers. Browns fans would soon learn why he had played for so many different teams. McCown wasn’t the greatest quarterback, but he was tough as nails. Despite a 1-10 record as the Browns starter, his spot on this list is well deserved, and should maybe be higher.
His first start as the Browns quarterback was against the Jets, and helicopter Josh would make an appearance. Running into the end zone, McCown was flipped by future Brown DeMario Davis, ending up with McCown getting a concussion.
His sole win as a Browns quarterback could have been the best game of his career. It was a 33-30 victory over the Ravens at home. The veteran completed 36-of-51 passes for 457 yard with two passing and one rushing touchdown.
He was the first quarterback in NFL history to have a 450-plus yard game with two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and no interceptions. This performance earned him AFC offensive player of the week honors. The two passing touchdowns were caught by Gary Barnidge and Isaiah Crowell.
The rest of his career as a Browns quarterback would be riddled with losses and injuries, as he would eventually be cut in the 2017 offseason. Needless to say, McCown deserved a lot more. He has my personal admiration and has earned respect from many others around the league.
He finished his tenure with the Cleveland Browns throwing for 18 scores, 10 picks with 3,209 yards, and a 60.4 completion percentage.
No. 4: Tim Couch
The only first overall pick on this list, Tim Couch was selected by the Browns in the 1999 NFL draft. Couch also has the most starts out of any quarterback on this list for the Browns.
Many hoped he would be the future of the franchise, bringing the team back as an expansion team. Things would not pan out for Couch’s NFL career, due to a variety of reasons. Some of those would not be his own doing.
Couch would start a whopping 59 games for the Browns, going 22-37 over those. His rookie year he went 2-12, which is the major outlier for a season for his starting record. He would be the only quarterback on this list to start a full season. That season was 2001, where he led the Browns to a 7-9 record. In 2002 he would start 14 games, going 8-6 over those. If the Browns would’ve been more confident in Couch, he may have been a pretty decent NFL quarterback.
2002 would be the last season the Browns would go to the playoffs, and it was Couch’s best season as the starter. However, he would break his leg in the final regular season game, not being able to start in the playoff game. Kelly Holcomb would get the start. Couch threw fir 2,842 yards with 18 touchdowns and picks with a completion percentage of 61.6 in that 2002 season.
Kelly Holcomb would eventually take the starting job, ending the Tim Couch era in Cleveland. Couch would start his final game with the Browns Week 17 of the 2003 season against the Bengals, getting his final win for the franchise.
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.
No. 1: Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson, our best quarterback since 1999, is the only gun xlinger on this list to make a Pro Bowl with the Cleveland Browns. He was a sixth-round draft pick by the Ravens in the 2005 NFL Draft, but never played for them. Anderson is the number one quarterback on this list for one reason and one reason only: his 2007 campaign.
Week 1 of 2007, Charlie Frye was the Browns starter, after beating Derek Anderson in the quarterback battle. That was short lived, as Anderson replaced Frye quick. Anderson would go 10-5 as the starting quarterback this season, leading the Browns to a 10-6 season. This is the Browns best season since returning to the NFL. Despite the 10-6 record, the Browns just missed out on the post season.
Anderson was voted into the Pro Bowl from his great 2007 campaign. That season he had 3,787 yards with 29 touchdowns on 56.5 percent passing. He did have 19 picks, but the high number of scores made that something that could be tolerated.
The rest of Anderson’s career in Cleveland wouldn’t be as exciting, and he would eventually compete with Brady Quinn for the starting quarterback job. He wasn’t brought back for the 2009 season, ending up with the Arizona Cardinals.
Anderson finished his tenure with Cleveland with a 16-18 record. He had 7,083 yards with 46 touchdowns, 45 picks and a completion percentage of 52.9.
Next: Top 5 RBs in Brown's history
He gave Browns one of their best seasons in recent memory, which is what lands him as the top Dawg on this list.