The Cleveland Browns haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the AFC playoff picture (yet), but with their ninth loss on Sunday, they’ve clinched a losing regular-season record for the fourth time in five years.
Aside from Myles Garrett’s quest for the NFL’s single-season sack record — he now needs four sacks over the final five games of 2025 to get there — there isn’t much for Browns fans to hang their hats on in terms of a silver lining.
Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers was the perfect snap shot of where this franchise currently stands. The offense is extremely limited. The special teams are a disaster. The defense, led by Garrett, is good enough to keep the team in games, but desperately needs help.
Here’s the good news: According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Browns are one of four NFL teams who have given rookies over 3,000 combined snaps this year, joining the Patriots, Jets and Titans.
The key difference? Cleveland’s 2025 draft class might be the best of the bunch.
The Cleveland Browns continue to get immediate returns from their 2025 rookies
The Browns are definitely experiencing some growing pains this season, especially on offense. Fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders will get another start at quarterback this week. Quinshon Judkins leads all NFL rookies in rushing, and is pacing towards a 1,000-yard season. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr., a third-round pick, is Cleveland’s leading receiver entering Week 14.
The Browns have been one of the worst offenses in football.
— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) November 30, 2025
They've had revolving doors of combinations on the offensive line.
Cleveland has started 3 different quarterbacks.
Despite it all, Quinshon Judkins is the rookie rushing leader.
Unbelievably special. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/OwPJ8zAMab
With No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham beginning to hit his stride, and middle linebacker Carson Schwesinger already over 100 total tackles on the season, the Browns have a core group of rookies who are producing, even if the results aren’t showing up on the scoreboard.
The obvious difference between the Browns, Patriots, Jets and Titans is the quarterback. Drake Maye enters Monday Night Football this week as an MVP frontrunner, and Cleveland will obviously have to make a decision on their quarterback depth chart for 2026 and beyond.
The clear silver lining is that general manager Andrew Berry appears to have crushed the 2025 draft, and the team is loaded with more draft capital for 2026. The Browns currently hold 10 total selections, including two in the first round; at 3-9, they’re also in range to pick in the top-five once again next year.
It’s one thing to be a bad football team. It’s another to be a bad football team with no young talent. The Browns are at least heading in the right direction on that front, and that should give fans at least a semblance of hope as another lost season winds to a close.