The Cleveland Browns are in a weird position in 2025. They’ve made the playoffs twice in the past five years—first in 2020, when they went 11–5 and nearly upset the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium (a game still haunted by Daniel Sorensen’s unflagged helmet-to-helmet hit on Rashard Higgins that resulted in a controversial touchback), and again in 2023, finishing 11–6 before getting blown out 45–14 by the Texans in Houston.
Outside of those two seasons, it’s been more of the same: 6–10 in 2019, 8–9 in 2021, 7–10 in 2022, and a dismal 3–14 in 2024.
On paper, this is a team that should be better. Yet five years into this regime, the Browns remain as confounding as ever. Let's discuss those campaigns and try to figure out the status of Cleveland moving forward.
The Fallout from 2021: Toughness at a Cost
Things really started to unravel in 2021. Baker Mayfield, fresh off that promising 2020 playoff run, suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 against the Houston Texans after throwing an interception and attempting to make the tackle around the 10-minute mark of the second quarter.
Despite the severity of the injury, Mayfield chose to play through the remainder of the season. In doing so, he leaned too heavily into what I call the “Cleveland Tough Guy” mentality—a reflection of the city itself: gritty, hardworking, and blue-collar. But that toughness may have come at a steep cost. His performance declined sharply—his QBR plummeted, his decision-making regressed, and the offense struggled to find any rhythm.
One of the lowest points came on Christmas Day, when the Browns had a golden opportunity to go into Lambeau Field and defeat the history-rich Green Bay Packers—a franchise proudly represented by 2023 NFL Fan of the Year, Tom Grossi. Instead, Mayfield threw four interceptions, was sacked five times, and the Browns let a winnable game slip away. To make matters worse, all three of the Packers’ touchdowns came directly off Mayfield turnovers, effectively gifting Green Bay the win and putting another dent in Cleveland’s fading playoff hopes.
The Browns stumbled to an 8–9 finish and missed the postseason, squandering a prime opportunity to build on the previous year’s momentum. By the following offseason, the organization had seen enough. Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers, plunging the franchise back into the all-too-familiar territory of quarterback uncertainty.
2022: Controversy, Suspension, and a Glimpse of What Could’ve Been
The Browns made headlines in 2022 by trading a historic haul for Deshaun Watson, despite his pending legal troubles and looming suspension. When Watson was officially suspended for 11 games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Jacoby Brissett stepped in and handled things as admirably as anyone could have expected.
He kept the Browns competitive, including a dramatic 23–17 overtime win against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what turned out to be Brady’s final game in Cleveland. He also nearly pulled off an upset against the Buffalo Bills in Detroit after a snowstorm forced the game out of Orchard Park.
But the team couldn’t string together wins, and when Watson finally returned in Week 13, he looked like a quarterback who hadn’t seen live action in nearly two years. His Browns debut came in a conveniently scheduled revenge game against the Houston Texans in Houston—an arrangement that seemed orchestrated by the league, despite their denials. The narrative practically wrote itself.
Personally, I think the better storyline would've been aWeek 10 debut in Miami against Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, especially given persistent rumors at the time about Miami potentially trading Watson and moving on from Tua. While Cleveland won the game, it was an ugly and uninspiring performance, and Watson never found a rhythm for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, the Browns finished 7–10—falling short of expectations and fueling ongoing debate over whether the franchise had mortgaged its future for the wrong player.
2023: A Return to the Playoffs—But Was It Progress or a Mirage?
After the uneven and controversial 2022 season, the Browns entered 2023 with renewed optimism—anchored by a fully available Deshaun Watson, a revamped coaching staff, and one of the most talented rosters on paper in the AFC. What followed was one of the most chaotic, unlikely, and ultimately frustrating seasons in recent franchise history.
On the bright side, the Browns fielded a dominant defense under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The unit was relentless, physical, and smart. Myles Garrett put together the best season of his career, winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Cleveland consistently shut down high-powered offenses—holding Joe Burrow and the Bengals to just 3 points in the season opener and handing the San Francisco 49ers their first loss of the year. They finished as a top-five defense in total yards allowed, takeaways, and sacks, making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks week in and week out.
One of the season’s defining moments came in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. With Deshaun Watson exiting early due to a shoulder injury, backup P.J. Walker took over and led a thrilling comeback. Kareem Hunt’s one-yard touchdown run with just 15 seconds remaining sealed a 39–38 victory in a game filled with drama and resilience.
Garrett delivered a monster defensive performance, recording two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked field goal—earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. This win was part of a larger trend, as the Browns secured five victories in 2023 by scoring game-winning points in the final two minutes—a franchise record. Meanwhile, kicker Dustin Hopkins made NFL history by hitting at least one 50+ yard field goal in five consecutive games.
Watson showed flashes early in the season but was plagued by inconsistency before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 10. That setback triggered yet another quarterback carousel—and one of its most dramatic chapters came in Week 8 in Seattle. Cleveland overcame a slow start and built a 20–17 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but things unraveled in the final minutes.
On what should’ve been a routine screen pass, P.J. Walker’s throw was deflected off Jamal Adams’ helmet and intercepted by Seahawks safety Julian Love, who returned it 38 yards to set up Geno Smith and the game-winning touchdown with just 38 seconds left. Seattle rallied behind Smith and a late Jason Myers field goal to steal a 24–20 win in one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums—a crushing loss that perfectly encapsulated the razor-thin margin for error the Browns faced all year.
The carousel didn’t stop there. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson saw action, and by late November, 38‑year‑old Joe Flacco—signed off the couch—became the unlikely hero. In a twist no one saw coming, Flacco played like it was still 2014: throwing for over 300 yards in four of five starts, leading the Browns to a 4–1 finish, and guiding them back into the playoffs with an 11–6 record. His storybook run earned him NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors and endeared him to a fanbase desperate for stability.
But the postseason brought heartbreak. The Browns were overwhelmed 45–14 by rookie C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. The defense, so dominant all season, faltered, while Flacco threw two pick-sixes. The loss was a harsh reminder of the Browns’ ongoing inconsistency and raised questions about whether 2023’s success was a true step forward or just another fleeting mirage.
2024: From Breakthrough to Breakdown
If 2023 felt like a breakthrough, 2024 was a breakdown.
The optimism from the Browns’ playoff return quickly evaporated as the team stumbled out of the gate and spiraled to a brutal 3–14 finish—their worst record since the infamous 1–31 stretch under Hue Jackson. Injuries piled up once again—but they weren’t the only reason for the collapse.
Deshaun Watson opened the 2024 season as the starter, still searching for consistency, but any hope of a redemption arc came to a screeching halt in Week 7. The Browns faced the Cincinnati Bengals at home—a game notable for the return of Nick Chubb, who was finally healthy after suffering a season-ending knee injury the previous year on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. Instead of igniting a spark, disaster struck.
Early in the second half, Joe Burrow threw two third-quarter touchdowns to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, putting the Bengals ahead. Then, late in the half while dropping back to pass, Watson suffered a non-contact, season-ending torn Achilles. The injury sparked a divisive reaction, with some Browns fans reportedly cheering the end of Watson’s tumultuous tenure. To add insult to injury, this marked Burrow’s first-ever NFL win in Cleveland and the Bengals’ first victory there since 2017. The final score was 21–14.
With Watson sidelined, Jameis Winston stepped in as the starter. In his first start against the Baltimore Ravens, Winston led the Browns to a 29–24 victory, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning 38-yard pass to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds remaining. His performance earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and provided a much-needed spark to the offense.
However, Winston’s subsequent performances were a mixed bag. In Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, he set a franchise record with 497 passing yards and four touchdowns. Despite this, his three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, contributed to a 41–32 loss. His inconsistency continued, leading to his benching in Week 15 after throwing three interceptions in a 21–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
By season’s end, the Browns finished with a 3–14 record, their worst since the 2017 season. The quarterback carousel, coupled with injuries and inconsistent play, left the team in disarray. The offense lacked direction, the defense showed signs of fatigue, and head coach Kevin Stefanski faced mounting pressure.
With Watson out and Chubb back yet overshadowed, Cleveland found itself in disarray. The quarterback carousel resurfaced, this time without the veteran leadership that had helped in past seasons. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Winston shifted into roles, but neither could compensate for the loss of Watson or a reliable offensive identity. The offense flatlined under the weight of 10 penalties and multiple turnovers, while the fanbase watched in stunned disbelief.
Kevin Stefanski, previously praised for steady leadership amid adversity, now looked overwhelmed. The team lacked energy, purpose, and cohesion. Cleveland Browns Stadium, once a fortress, grew eerily silent as frustration boiled over.
By season’s end, the Browns were once again a team with more questions than answers. The Watson gamble, once promising, had devolved into a liability—compounded by free-agent salary burdens and back-to-back injury setbacks. The offense was broken, the coaching staff under fire, and the front office faced a blunt reality: After five years of major moves, high-dollar talent, and fleeting hope, the Browns had circled back to square one.
2025: A Fork in the Road
As the Browns enter the 2025 season, the questions that have haunted this franchise for years remain more pressing than ever. Between flashes of promise and stretches of chaos, the team has struggled to find consistency—especially at the most important position on the field. The revolving door at quarterback, costly gambles like the Deshaun Watson trade, and a series of crushing injuries have turned what should have been a rising contender into a cautionary tale.
This offseason, Cleveland made sweeping quarterback changes in an effort to finally settle the position. They traded for Kenny Pickett, fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles—where the Eagles stunned the then-back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs 40–22. The Browns also re-signed Joe Flacco, drafted Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round with the 94th overall pick, and selected Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round at 144th overall, after trading up with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire that pick. In my humble opinion, the Sanders pick bears the fingerprints of the Browns’ ownership—Jimmy and Dee Haslam—with Jimmy especially involved in that move.
Cleveland is a city—and a fanbase—that thrives on resilience. The blue-collar grit that defines this team has shown in moments of brilliance, but it hasn’t been enough to sustain success. With new pieces arriving and old questions still unanswered, the Browns stand at a crossroads. Will 2025 be the year they finally break through and build a lasting contender? Or will it be another chapter in a long saga of what-ifs and near-misses?
Only time will tell. But one thing is clear: after five roller-coaster years, the Browns’ window to prove what they’re truly building is wide open—and fans won’t be patient forever.