All 38 Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterbacks Since 1999, Ranked Worst to Best
8. 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.
7. 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.
6. Jacoby Brissett
Because the 2022 season was a disappointing one for Browns fans, it can be easy to overlook that Jacoby Brissett actually had a solid year.
Easily our most successful attempt at starting a former Tom Brady backup, Brissett had a passer rating of 88.9 (20th among 33 qualifying QBs) and threw for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns to 6 picks in 11 starts while also adding 238 yards and 2 scores with his legs.
Not all-timer numbers by any stretch, and disappointing because Browns fans were hoping for a much bigger year even while waiting for Deshaun Watson to make his debut. But those are absolutely fine numbers relative to most of the players on this list.