The Most Depressing Stat From Each Of The 31 Cleveland Browns Quarterbacks Since 1999

Case Keenum will be the first quarterback other than Baker Mayfield to start for the Browns since Tyrod Taylor on September 20, 2018.

This is a minor miracle for a franchise that has seen thirty one (31) quarterbacks take snaps under center since resuming operations in 1999.

It’s been a long and arduous journey for Browns fans, who deserve prosperity and longevity, but they must not forget the past so as not to replicate it in the future.

Let’s remind them, chronologically.

Tim Couch

Tim Couch ranks second (after Baker Mayfield) in the franchise’s all-time career completion percentage and top 5 in passing attempts, completions, and passing yards, while also holding the Brown’s single-game record for pass completions (36 against Tennessee in 2002).

Very few teams in professional sports could have this type of relative success within an organization while also being recognized as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

Ty Detmer

Detmer, who ultimately played an impressive 14 seasons with 6 teams in his career, joined the Cleveland Browns in 1999 with the goal of mentoring Tim Couch.

Couch got injured and the Heisman winning ex-BYU QB was tasked with stepping in for two starts. He lost both, and soon therafter, injured his right achilles and never played for Cleveland again.

The irony is that in his debut start with the Lions following his injury, Detmer threw SEVEN interceptions, the second-highest single-game total in NFL history.

The team who picked him off seven times: The Cleveland Browns.

Doug Pederson

Doug Pederson went 3-14 in his NFL career as a starting QB, posting a 1–5 record with the Cleveland Browns.

Silver lining: Pederson’s last win in the NFL came Nov 12, 2000 against Bill Belichick and the Patriots. He is the first person to beat a Belichick-coached team as a starting QB and head coach. 

Spergon Wynn

Wynn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round (183rd overall) in 2000. The Southwest Texas State product was the sixth QB chosen in the draft.

The seventh QB selected, you ask?

I can’t even type it. It’s too mean.

Wynn finished his NFL career with one touchdown, seven interceptions, and a passer rating of 39.5.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady is aging backwards.

Kelly Holcomb

Kelly Holcomb, in Browns lore, is a success story. The Middle Tennessee State product took over the starting job from Golden Boy Tim Couch and in his third season in 2003, he threw for 429 yard and three touchdowns in near come-from-behind win against the Steelers.

As you can see, Browns fans are still mighty proud.

Jeff Garcia

After going to the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons with the 49ers (thanks T.O.!), Garcia had a cup of coffee in Cleveland and on September 19, 2004, Garcia completed 8 of 27 passes for 71 yards and 3 interceptions in a 19–12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, resulting in a career-low passer rating of 0.

This stat still remains.

Luke McCown

After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft, the Louisiana Tech Hall Of Famer started just four games for the Browns before being traded to Tampa Bay for a few baseball cards, a sack of marbles, and a dead bird.

Browns fans did not weep.

Trent Dilfer

This has nothing to do with his time in Cleveland, but after a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, Dilfer declared the New England Patriots dead. Never forget.

The Pats would go on to win a Super Bowl that season, and two more since, and Tom Brady is fit to outlive us all.

Charlie Frye

I regret to inform you that I have nothing negative to say about Charlie Frye because he was featured in the greatest commercial of all-time.

WOOF!

Derek Anderson

This dude may as well be Joe Montana in Cleveland because in 2007, after leading the Browns to an impressive 10-6 record, the Oregon State legend punched his ticket to the Pro Bowl, which was simply unheard of within the organization.

Ken Dorsey

Dorsey has carved himself a nice little post-playing career as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills, but his days with the Browns left a lot to be desired. He went 0-3 as a starter over three seasons and was released by the Browns in 2009.

He also was the gunslinger in arguably the worst football game ever played.

Brady Quinn

After being labeled a “franchise quarterback in the mold of Carson Palmer” coming out of college, Brady Quinn’s three seasons with the Browns never corresponded to his stunning good looks.

He finished with 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 14 games played, while later delivering an honest and heartbreaking take on never meeting the standards he set for himself and the franchise.

Bruce Gradkowski

Fourth-string QB Bruce Gradkowski was thrust into the starting job for the 2008 regular season finale after injuries to Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey, and the local concession stand vendor.

In his two games played for Cleveland, Gradkowski went 7-21 with 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and posted a passer rating of 2.8.

Two point eight.

Colt McCoy

In response to being selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Texas legend had this to say:

“I can’t wait to be a Cleveland Brown and that we’re going to win a lot of games. Cleveland has a little orange in their jerseys just like UT. It’s a perfect fit.”

Colt posted the best season of his career during his sophomore campaign—2,733 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions—but the poor guy was plugged into too many dismal franchises to blossom.

• Cleveland (2010-2012)
• Washington (2014-2019)
• New York Giants (2020)

Jake Delhomme

Six years after a stellar 2003 Super Bowl performance that was pooped on by a last minute Adam Vinatieri field goal, the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor QB signed a two year deal with the Browns.

Plagued by a nagging ankle injury, Delhomme played in just five games, tossing two touchdowns, seven interceptions in by far the worst campaign of his career.

Luckily for him, it was worth it.

Seneca Wallace

I’m reminded of this ESPN graphic from 2013 that features the four (then active) quarterbacks with the worst winning percentage and a minimum of 20 starts.

Three out of four were current or former Browns players.

3/4 are former Browns.
RT @ESPNNFL: Packers QB Seneca Wallace has the 3rd worst win % by an active QB in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/zJvcryH6Ll

— TCB (@TenCentBeers) November 10, 2013

Brandon Weeden 

Weeden became the oldest player ever taken in the first round at 28 years old.

After two seasons with the Browns, the Oklahoma State QB threw 23 touchdowns and 26 interceptions before the franchise released him in 2014.

Thaddeus Lewis

Maybe the biggest “Oh Yeah, I Remember Him” QB on the list, Lewis found himself in seven different NFL uniforms over his seven season career.

He actually had an impressive debut performance against the Steelers, the first-ranked defense of the NFL during the 2012 season, completing 22 of 32 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

But, like most things the Browns touch, the success did not last, and Lewis was released by the organization in May of 2013.

Jason Campbell

The Auburn stud ended his only season with the Browns in 2013 with a 1-7 record, with his completion percentage falling to 56.8, the lowest since his rookie season with Washington seven years prior.

To add insult to injury, Campbell signed with Cincinnati the following year before calling mercy and retiring.

Brian Hoyer

The NFL journeyman and former Tom Brady backup is one of just two quarterbacks with a winning record as a starter for the Browns since they returned in 1999. The other: Baker Mayfield.

Johnny Manziel

 

Connor Shaw

Shaw, the winningest quarterback in South Carolina history, was plucked from the practice squad in 2014 after Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer went down with injuries.

Shaw’s College Stats: 6,074 yards passing, 1,683 rushing, 56 touchdowns, 16 interceptions.
Shaw’s Browns Stats: 177 yards passing, 9 yards rushing, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception.

The NFL is a fickle beast.

Josh McCown

Josh McCown played for TWELVE different teams over his 18-year career, but no highlight was as glorious as this one from his two-year stint with the Cleveland Browns in 2015.

Art.

Austin Davis

Davis was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 MLB Draft, even though he only played baseball for one year in 2007.

The Southern Miss product gave up a potentially cushy career in the MLB to play just three games for the Cleveland Browns, tossing just one touchdown and two interceptions.

He’s now the quarterback’s coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

Robert Griffin III

I must’ve been in a coma all of 2016 because I have zero recollection of RGIII ever donning the brown and orange.

Hold on, let me check if the Browns won the Super Bowl that season…

Negative.

Cody Kessler

Cody Kessler played just 11 games for Cleveland over two seasons before being traded to Jacksonville, but this fun fact alone is all the evidence I need to advocate him for the Hall of Fame.

DeShone Kizer

I swear no one knows anything.

https://twitter.com/Ayoo_Noah/status/1194967026059616256?s=20

In 15 starts of his rookie season, Kizer completed 53.6 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards, 11 touchdowns, and a league-leading 22 interceptions.

Kevin Hogan

Kevin Hogan, seriously?

Are we seriously still doing this?

No disrespect to Mr. Hogan, but I wouldn’t recognize the dude if he showed up at my house for Thanksgiving.

Tyrod Taylor

To Tyrod Taylor’s undying credit, the Virginia Tech star helped the Browns snap a 17-game losing streak dating back to 2016 (ok, who cares if the game ended in a 21-21 tie, it ain’t a loss!)

By no fault of his own, and with fans itching to see what Baker Mayfield had in his NFL toolbox, Taylor ultimately joined the Los Angeles Chargers after only appearing in two games in 2018.

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield was accused of hooking up with a woman in the parking lot of a Cheesecake Factory a month after he got married. He did not even purchase her a slice of the restaurant’s divine key lime pie.

Is this your savior, Cleveland.

Case Keenum

Case Keenum led the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Title Game a la the Minneapolis Miracle and the Cleveland Browns to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

Oh wait, my clock is a few months fast.

***

I think I have carpal tunnel. I need a drink.