All 34 Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterbacks Since 1999, Ranked Worst to Best
The good, the bad and the ugly all show up on the rankings of all 34 quarterbacks to have started a game for the Cleveland Browns since the franchise returned for the 1999 season.
8. Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell doesn't touch the peak of what Derek Anderson achieved, but his eight games were better than Anderson's Browns tenure in its entirety.
The Browns only went 1-7 under Campbell’s command, but you really can’t put the entire blame on his shoulders. His 11 touchdowns were nothing special but did set far enough ahead of his 8 interceptions. He also threw for 2,015 yards (223.9 per game). There are a lot of quarterbacks on this list who have better win-loss records but who weren’t throwing for the touchdowns or yards that Campbell was.
Was plenty of that production in garbage time? Sure, but there aren’t many players on this list who didn’t spend much of their tenure playing in garbage time.
7. Trent Dilfer
After the Jeff Garcia experiment failed, how about a different former Pro Bowler? This time with a Super Bowl ring.
Dilfer was traded for in part to mentor Charlie Frye, and he made 11 starts while he did it. And while he didn't set an especially lofty bar, he still managed to post numbers that Frye simply couldn't reach.
Dilfer threw for 2,321 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, going 4-7 in 11 starts. His 76.9 passer rating that year ranked 22nd among 34 qualifying quarterbacks. Not great, but a real above-average showing from a Browns starter of the era.
6. Brian Hoyer
The Browns gave Brian Hoyer his first opportunity to prove that he was more than just Tom Brady's backup.
He took over starting duties in Week 3 of the 2013 season and had two good showings, throwing for 590 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 picks, before suffering a season-ending injury early in Week 5.
He got the starting job in Week 1 of the following season, but couldn’t live up to the flashes he had shown the year before, throwing for 3,192 yards (245 per game) but with just 11 touchdowns and 12 picks across 13 starts.
Fans were so ready to believe in what a healthy Hoyer could do, and he does hold one of the best passer ratings of any quarterback on this list, but he was ultimately a letdown.