Browns had odd QB quirk in 2024

Published in Humor and Quirks on Friday, August 15th 2025 at 12:48 GMT by SB Nation
^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Cleveland faced the other team's top QB a league-high 94 percent of the time last season.

The Cleveland Browns' Peculiar Quarterback Quirk: A Decades-Long Saga of Instability

In the annals of NFL history, few franchises embody the concept of quarterback instability quite like the Cleveland Browns. Since the team's rebirth in 1999 following a three-year hiatus due to relocation, the Browns have cycled through an astonishing array of starting quarterbacks, creating what many fans and analysts dub an "odd QB quirk." This pattern isn't just a string of bad luck; it's a deeply ingrained characteristic that has defined the franchise's struggles, highlighting systemic issues in drafting, development, and decision-making. What makes this quirk particularly bizarre is not merely the volume of quarterbacks—over 30 different starters in just over two decades—but the recurring themes of hype, disappointment, and rapid turnover that accompany each one.

The saga begins with Tim Couch, the first overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. Selected as the cornerstone of the rebooted Browns, Couch showed flashes of potential but was plagued by injuries and inconsistency. He started 59 games over five seasons, posting a 22-37 record, but his tenure ended unceremoniously in 2003. Following him was Kelly Holcomb, a journeyman who briefly seized the starting role, only to be overshadowed by the arrival of Jeff Garcia in 2004. Garcia, a Pro Bowl veteran from the San Francisco 49ers, was expected to stabilize the position, yet he lasted just one underwhelming season, throwing for 1,731 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 starts.

The mid-2000s saw the Browns experiment with a mix of young prospects and retreads. Luke McCown, Trent Dilfer, and Charlie Frye each took turns under center, but none could cement themselves as the long-term answer. Dilfer, a Super Bowl winner with the Baltimore Ravens, provided veteran leadership in 2005, starting 11 games and guiding the team to a 6-10 record, but his age and limitations were evident. Frye, a third-round pick in 2005, started 19 games over two-plus seasons, amassing a dismal 7-12 record before being traded early in 2007.

Enter Derek Anderson, who emerged as a surprise in 2007. After Frye's quick exit, Anderson led the Browns to a 10-6 record, earning a Pro Bowl nod with 3,787 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. It was a rare bright spot, but even this success was fleeting. Anderson regressed in 2008, splitting time with Brady Quinn, the team's 2007 first-round pick. Quinn, once heralded as a franchise savior, started only 12 games across three seasons, hampered by injuries and poor performance, before being shipped to Denver.

The 2010s amplified the quirk's absurdity. The Browns drafted Colt McCoy in the third round of 2010, and he started 21 games over three years, showing grit but lacking the arm strength for sustained success. Then came Brandon Weeden, a 28-year-old rookie selected 22nd overall in 2012—a pick that raised eyebrows due to his age and baseball background. Weeden started 20 games in two seasons, throwing 23 touchdowns against 26 interceptions, epitomizing the Browns' penchant for unconventional choices.

The carousel spun faster with Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer, and Johnny Manziel. Hoyer, an undrafted local product, provided a spark in 2013 and 2014, going 10-6 as a starter and briefly igniting playoff hopes before injuries derailed him. Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner drafted 22nd in 2014, was a high-profile bust, starting just eight games amid off-field issues and on-field struggles, symbolizing the Browns' attraction to flashy but flawed talents.

By the mid-2010s, the list grew even more eclectic: Connor Shaw, Austin Davis, Josh McCown, Robert Griffin III, and Cody Kessler all donned the starting helmet for brief stints. Griffin, a former Offensive Rookie of the Year with Washington, was signed in 2016 as a reclamation project but started only five games before injuries ended his Browns tenure. McCown, a veteran gunslinger, provided mentorship but couldn't halt the losing.

The arrival of DeShone Kizer in 2017, a second-round pick, marked another chapter. Kizer started 15 games as a rookie, throwing 11 touchdowns and a league-high 22 interceptions during a winless 0-16 season—the nadir of the quirk. Tyrod Taylor bridged to Baker Mayfield in 2018. Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick and Heisman winner, finally seemed to break the curse. He started 59 games over four seasons, leading the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994 in 2020 and throwing for over 14,000 yards. Yet, even Mayfield's tenure soured, ending in a 2022 trade amid injuries and inconsistent play.

The quirk persisted with Deshaun Watson's acquisition in 2022. Traded from Houston amid controversy, Watson has started 12 games through 2023, showing rust after a long suspension but offering hope with his dual-threat ability. Backups like Jacoby Brissett, who started 11 games in 2022 with solid efficiency, and Joe Flacco, a 38-year-old veteran who improbably led the team to the playoffs in 2023 with five starts and 1,616 yards, underscore the ongoing instability.

What makes this QB quirk so odd? It's the sheer volume—32 different starters since 1999, more than any other NFL team in that span—coupled with patterns like frequent first-round picks (Couch, Quinn, Weeden, Manziel, Mayfield) who flame out, reliance on aging veterans (Garcia, Dilfer, McCown, Flacco), and the occasional Cinderella story (Anderson, Hoyer, Flacco) that teases stability before reverting to chaos. This has contributed to the Browns' playoff drought from 2003 to 2019, multiple 0-16 or 1-15 seasons, and a fanbase's enduring frustration.

Analysts point to organizational dysfunction: poor scouting, coaching turnover (over a dozen head coaches since 1999), and ownership meddling under figures like Jimmy Haslam. The quirk reflects broader NFL truths about the quarterback position's volatility, but Cleveland's case is extreme, often likened to a cursed revolving door. Yet, there's optimism with Watson's potential and recent playoff appearances. Will the Browns finally end this oddity, or will the cycle continue? Only time—and the next draft—will tell. This history isn't just stats; it's a narrative of resilience, missteps, and the elusive quest for quarterback permanence in a league where the position reigns supreme. (Word count: 912)

Read the Full SB Nation Article at:
[ https://sports.yahoo.com/article/browns-had-odd-qb-quirk-150000247.html ]

N※N

Browns had odd QB quirk in 2024

The Cleveland Browns' Peculiar Quarterback Quirk: A Decades-Long Saga of Instability