Checking in on Former Browns Quarterbacks
It goes without saying that the Cleveland Browns have had more starting quarterbacks than there are stars in the sky. A team in a constant state of flux constantly looking for the next guy under center to become a Hall of Famer does not exactly scream stability which would account for the Browns’ struggles this century. In the dying light of this lost season, however, two quarterback facts are simultaneously true: it remains to be seen who QB1 will be in 2025 and there are a lot of former Cleveland quarterbacks in the league right now. It’s usually unwise to look up former romantic partners on social media to see who they’re dating now, and I’m pretty sure that principle applies here, but it may be important perspective. Sure, this is the season from hell and the Browns are in a quarterback wasteland, but how are the team’s former signal callers doing?
*Note: I’ll be looking back from the 2018 season to present and ranking them least desirable to most*
8. PJ Walker (6 games including 2 starts in 2023)
P.J. Walker answers the question – “Can literally anyone play quarterback in the NFL?” That answer is, “no.” Walker started two games for the Browns, improbably defeating the San Francisco 49ers and before losing to the Seahawks. He completed only 48.7% of his passes, threw one touchdown and five interceptions, took eleven sacks, and fumbled four times. Walker has not played an NFL snap since November of last year and recently signed with the Calgary Stampeders. If he plays a down for them, he will own the unique distinction of playing for the XFL, NFL, and CFL. Trivia for days.
7. Jeff Driskel (1 game in 2023)
Remember how every couple year for the past quarter century some random dude you’ve never heard of plays quarterback in the Browns’ last meaningless regular season game then disappears into a cloud of smoke never to be heard from again? Enter Jeff Driskell who started against the Bengals in Week 18 last season. He took the L while throwing two touchdowns, two interceptions, and taking three sacks in a game that everyone immediately forgot about the second it ended. Driskel signed with Washington for 2024 and hasn’t sniffed the field since.
6. Nick Mullens (1 game in 2021)
For an imaginary dollar, can you name the opponent Nick Mullens started against in 2021? If you guessed the Las Vegas Raiders, you’d be right. Mr. Mullens was on the wrong side of a 16-14 loss, but he did, y’know, fine going 20-of-30 for 147 yards and a touchdown. He joined the Vikings the following year and has appeared in 13 games Up North including an 0-3 record as a starter. He has been wildly overshadowed by the Sam Darnold renaissance managing only two attempts all season though they were both completions. Not sure if the Browns missed out on anything here.
5. Case Keenum (9 games in 2020-21)
Case Keenum has the privileged distinction of saying he was undefeated as a Browns starting quarterback: 2-0. In 2022 he joined the Bills and in 2023 the Texans. In four combined appearances he went 1-1 as a starter, threw for 299 yards on 36-of-60 passing plus a touchdown and three picks. This season has not gone as smoothly with Keenum hitting the injured reserve list in August ending his season before it began. He has however parlayed his backup QB status into some commercial appearances so bully for him.
4. Tyrod Taylor (3 games in 2018)
Did you know Tyrod Taylor is still playing football professionally? Me neither! Since leaving Ohio he has suited up for the Chargers, Texans, Giants, and Jets. He has gone 5-7 as a starter for those teams and appeared in only one game for New York this season. He went 6-of-8 against the 49ers for 36 yards and a touchdown in a 32-19 loss. Aaron Rodgers’ uncertain future in Green and White also complicates Taylor’s future. At 35-years-old, it remains to be seen if the Jets or any other team will have an appetite for Taylor next year. We certainly wish him well, but there isn’t much regret there.
3. Jacoby Brissett (16 games in 2022)
I’ve always felt a little sorry for Jacoby. The Browns signed him after the Deshaun Watson trade with the full knowledge that the new “franchise player” would be missing some games. It never mattered how well Brissett did; he could have gone 11-0 and he would have been benched when Watson returned. Rough stuff. He did parlay his Cleveland experience into a contract with the Commanders where he appeared in a mere three games. The Patriots signed him for 2024 and even named him the starter ahead of top pick Drake Maye. He opened the season with a win, but a four-game losing streak got him benched for the rookie. He went 79-of-135 as a starter (58.5% completion percentage) for 696 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He was sacked 17 times and fumbled three times. The Patriots have a lot of problems on both sides of the ball, but Brissett is not their (or likely anyone’s) quarterback of the future.
2. Joe Flacco (6 games in 2023)
To quote the poet: “He’s so tall and handsome as hell/ he’s so bad but he does it so well / I can see the end as it begins / my one condition is / say you’ll remember me.” It’s still insane that long time tormentor Joe Flacco saved the Browns season in 2023. It’s like The Riddler freeing Batman from a death trap. Many Browns fans including your uncle wanted the Browns to bring Flacco back for 2024 and let him run the offense. Instead, the Colts picked him up. He has appeared in seven games for Indy including five starts. He went 1-4 under center, completing 139-of-208 passes (66.8% completion), 1,497 yards, 11 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 15 sacks, and three fumbles. His 91.4 Passer Rating is actually higher than his Cleveland cameo last year (90.2), but it still wasn’t enough to save Flacco from being benched for Anthony Richardson. Richardson has gone 6-5 and figures to be more prominent in the Colts’ long-term plans. Flacco could not save the Colts from the hapless Giants in Week 17 which might be the end of his time in the Hoosier State. The Browns have talked about bringing in new quarterback in 2025 for some competition; could the team call up an old friend?
1. Baker Mayfield (60 games from 2018-2021)
The One Who Got Away. C’mon you knew this was coming. The Browns released Mayfield after the 2021 season when they engineered the Watson trade. Mayfield caught on with the Panthers where he went 1-5 as a starter, including a loss to the Browns. The Rams took a flyer on him, and he rewarded them with a prime-time win followed by three straight losses. It seemed at first the Browns were right to give up on him. Then Baker rolled into Tampa Bay and became a Pro Bowler. The 2023 Buccaneers won the NFC South then defeated the Eagles at home 32-9. Mayfield threw three touchdowns in that playoff win. The Bucs came up short against the Lions, but Mayfield did his part by tossing for 349 yards and three more TD’s. This year the Buccaneers are 9-7 through sixteen weeks and are in the mix for the division title again. Mayfield has completed 71.7% of his passes for 4,279 yards, 39 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and the Passer Rating of 107.6. The Browns would sure enjoy those numbers in 2024.
The Cleveland Browns are on the wrong side of the worst trade in NFL history. They’re still paying for it and will pay for it for some time. This trade will go down in not just franchise history but also in municipal history along with the river catching fire, the balloon release disaster, and the city declaring bankruptcy. It's easy to say, “The Browns shouldn’t have given up on Baker Mayfield” … so I will. The Browns shouldn’t have given up on Baker Mayfield. He was the most stable quarterback the team had employed this century, and he won a playoff game for the first time since Clinton was in office. Would the Browns be a high-flying playoff bound team with him under center this year? Hard to say. But they certainly wouldn’t be mired in a 3-win hellscape with no escape hatch in site. But I suppose that’s the problem of looking up your exes online. Sometimes you see them with their new beau, and it just bums you out.