20 most disappointing Cleveland Browns quarterbacks of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
Most disappointing Cleveland Browns quarterbacks: 6. Vinny Testaverde (1993-1995)
A one-time teammate of Bernie Kosar at the University of Miami, Vinny Testaverde was one of the big named Hurricanes to enter the NFL with a ton of hype. He was taken first overall in 1987 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent his first six NFL seasons there.
Testaverde struggled with the Bucs as he had twice as many losses as he did wins and threw far more interceptions (112) than touchdowns (77). His worst mark was in 1988 when he completed just 47.6 percent of his passes and had only 13 touchdowns against 35 picks.
Even with those struggles, Testaverde joined the Browns and was again behind Kosar. This time, however, he ended up taking the job from his former collegiate teammate as Bill Belichick decided to release Kosar during the 1993 season.
This ended an era in Cleveland, as Kosar was one of the most beloved signal-callers the team ever had. Still, fans started to forgive the move as Testaverde began to win with Belichick. In his first full season as a starter, the team won nine of his 13 starts and they even made the postseason.
Expectations were high following that campaign but it ended up being a mess as the Browns were in their final season in Cleveland. They again were a losing team with Testaverde under center, going 4-8 in his starts.
What made it even more frustrating for Cleveland fans was seeing the veteran have success following that season. He had a 33-touchdown campaign in his first season as a Baltimore Raven and then threw 29 touchdowns against just seven picks in 1998 while making the Pro Bowl for the New York Jets.
Testaverde had a 21-year career but the Browns were let down after he showed so much promise in their 1994 campaign.