Where does Dillon Gabriel rank among Browns' 41 starting QBs since 1999? Reviewing Cleveland's sad history

If you want to play quarterback in the NFL, consider moving to Cleveland. Odds are the Browns will give you a shot.

Since 1999, when the Browns resumed operations as an NFL franchise, 41 different quarterbacks have started at least one game for Cleveland. That number just reached 41 this Sunday, with rookie Dillon Gabriel replacing veteran Joe Flacco after a 1-3 start to the 2025 season. And who knows, maybe it'll get to 42 by the end of the year, if Gabriel's draftmate Shedeur Sanders manages to get his own crack at the top gig.

Either way, no NFL team boasts a quarterback carousel quite like the Browns. At this point, it's a marvelous feat, although not so pretty for most of the guys thrust into the job of, you know, playing quarterback for Cleveland.

Which got us thinking: Which of the fateful 41 best represented the Dawg Pound? What if we ranked every single one of the men who tried -- and, mostly, failed -- to launch the Browns out of perpetual mediocrity? Yes, that's right. We decided to ruin our weekday just so you can bask in the nostalgia of Cleveland crash-outs. Enjoy!

41. Spergon Wynn (2000)

Called upon as a sixth-round rookie, he went 5 of 16 for 17 yards in a 48-0 loss during his lone start. It wasn't long before he relocated to the CFL.

40. Bruce Gradkowski (2008)

A one-time Tampa Bay Buccaneers fill-in, Gradkowski all but mirrored the Spergon Wynn game, going 5 of 16 for 18 yards and two picks in a 31-0 loss. He never played for Cleveland again.

39. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (2023-2024)

A fifth-rounder out of UCLA, "DTR" flashed mobility but not much else, completing 52.6% of his passes with just one touchdown compared to 10 picks as a last-gasp replacement for Deshaun Watson across five starts.

38. Connor Shaw (2014)

He got the nod in the season finale as an undrafted rookie and promptly completed 50% of his throws in a loss. It was the first and last time he took NFL snaps.

37. Kevin Hogan (2017)

The Stanford product showed grit off the bench, but his lone start included three picks in a 33-17 defeat.

36. Bailey Zappe (2024)

A one-time Mac Jones replacement for the New England Patriots, the feisty Zappe served as a punching bag for the rival Ravens in a Week 18 appearance, in which he completed just 51.6% of his throws with two picks.

35. Thad Lewis (2012)

Leading the backups in the final game of the year against the Steelers, he at least threw as many touchdowns (one) as picks. Lewis only ever appeared in one other NFL season, and it was with the Buffalo Bills.

34. Austin Davis (2015)

A decent fill-in for the Rams the year prior, Davis couldn't control the ball in two starts, tossing three picks.

33. P.J. Walker (2023)

A short-lived XFL standout, Walker somehow managed to go 1-1 in two emergency starts, even as he struggled to complete half of his throws and had five turnovers compared to one score.

32. Ken Dorsey (2008)

The ex-San Francisco 49ers reserve got three straight starts and completed a whopping 47.3% of his passes, tossing zero scores and seven picks in an 0-3 stretch during which Cleveland was outscored 72-19.

31. Ty Detmer (1999)

Added as a mentor to Tim Couch, he barely completed a pass in a 43-0 season-opening loss to the Steelers. His next and last start came in the season finale, where he nearly led an upset of the Peyton Manning-led Colts. 

30. Jeff Driskel (2023)

Handed the keys to the season finale just days after signing with the club, the journeyman at least threw two touchdowns while Joe Flacco rested up for the playoffs.

29. DeShone Kizer (2017)

A second-round pick out of Notre Dame, Kizer fought hard but was no match for NFL defenses, leading the league with 22 picks as the mostly unsupported face of a franchise that finished 0-16 in his lone year with the team.

28. Luke McCown (2004)

A fourth-round rookie who got four starts before his trade to the Buccaneers began a journeyman career, he eclipsed 200 passing yards once in his 0-4 stretch, completing just 49% of his throws.

27. Cody Kessler (2016)

A third-round rookie out of USC, Kessler went 0-8 in an extended look as Cleveland's starter, but he at least looked the part in spurts, throwing six scores to two picks while on a 1-15 roster under Hue Jackson.

26. Doug Pederson (2000)

The future Super Bowl-winning coach of the Eagles, Pederson only arrived in September as last-minute depth for a banged-up quarterback room, then went 1-7 in a string of mostly blowout losses.

25. Jake Delhomme (2010)

A former Pro Bowler with the Carolina Panthers, Delhomme's turnover streaks followed him to Cleveland, where he tossed seven picks in just four starts between injuries. He only played one more NFL season before retiring.

24. Brady Quinn (2008-2009)

The hype was real for Quinn coming out of Notre Dame, but he didn't start until Year 2 and finished with a 3-9 overall record as the No. 1. Injuries were a big issue, and he was traded to the Denver Broncos by 2010.

23. Robert Griffin III (2016)

A one-time stud in Washington, "RG3" was damaged goods as a dual-threat by the time he joined Cleveland, and the experiment didn't last long. He made it just five games before an injury effectively ended his days as a No. 1.

22. Johnny Manziel (2014-2015)

Expectations were through the roof for "Johnny Football" after he arrived as a first-rounder following an exhilarating run at Texas A&M, but he's best known for the infamous partying that derailed his career. On the gridiron, he was a shifty but uneven quarterback across eight starts, throwing as many scores (seven) as picks.

21. Deshaun Watson (2022-2024)

When factoring in the price, Watson might warrant an even lower placement. Acquired for three first-round picks and a record contract even while facing dozens of allegations of off-field misconduct, the ex-Houston Texans standout consistently struggled to find a rhythm, or stay on the field, behind a shoddy O-line.

20. Nick Mullens (2021)

The former 49ers reserve actually kept Cleveland competitive in a tight loss to the Raiders, posting an 89.2 rating in relief of Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum, each of whom were held out due to COVID protocols.

19. Tyrod Taylor (2018)

Acquired via trade from the Buffalo Bills, he is best known in Cleveland as the guy who bridged the gap to a rookie Baker Mayfield. He controlled the ball well in Buffalo, but he was quite erratic in a 1-1-1 run with the Browns.

18. Jason Campbell (2013)

A former Washington first-rounder, he was initially passed over in favor of Brian Hoyer to replace an injured Brandon Weeden, but still finished his one season in Cleveland with eight starts. He was at least so-so in them.

*17. Dillon Gabriel (2024)

Gabriel just made his first career start and fared quite well considering he went overseas against a feisty Minnesota Vikings defense, controlled the ball and kept Cleveland competitive. The stage doesn't seem too big for him.

16. Charlie Frye (2005-2007)

Tabbed a potential hometown hero coming out of Akron, Frye had a promising start, setting a rookie record for single-game passer rating, only to crash back to Earth with 17 interceptions in a 4-9 stretch as a second-year starter.

15. Seneca Wallace (2010-2011)

A longtime Seattle Seahawks backup who took over when Jake Delhomme went down, Wallace managed just one win in seven starts but started relatively strong, with four touchdowns and an 88.5 rating in his first year.

14. Brandon Weeden (2012-2013)

The butt of plenty of jokes due to the Browns making him a first-round pick at age 28, the Oklahoma State product was erratic from the jump, throwing 26 picks across 25 games and going just 5-15 as the No. 1 signal-caller.

13. Jameis Winston (2024)

One of the NFL's most colorful personalities, Winston remained a big-play hunter in place of Deshaun Watson, for both better and worse, finishing with 13 scores to 12 picks. Still, he at least brought some zest to the offense.

12. Trent Dilfer (2005)

A Super Bowl champion with the rival Ravens five years earlier, Dilfer's one-year stint was marked by reported discord with the offensive staff. He ended up with more picks (12) than touchdowns (11) across 11 starts.

11. Colt McCoy (2010-2011)

A third-round pick out of Texas, McCoy never quite settled in as "the guy," but his scrappiness as a 13-game starter in Year 2, when he threw 14 touchdowns to 11 picks, led to a 12-year career as a journeyman No. 2.

With Dillon Gabriel as the Browns' starting QB, Cleveland has a case to be the AFC North's best team

Ryan Wilson

10. Jeff Garcia (2005)

Injuries limited the former 49ers starter in his only season with Cleveland, which preceded a scrappy stint as the Eagles' backup, but he showed plenty of fight while leading three wins, once throwing a record 99-yard score.

9. Case Keenum (2021)

A career journeyman who peaked as a Minnesota Vikings starter four years prior, Keenum went 2-0 as a spot starter in place of an injured Baker Mayfield, moving the ball reasonably well with three scores and one pick.

8. Josh McCown (2015-2016)

The longtime journeyman was already 36 years old by the time he arrived as a hopeful mentor for Johnny Manziel, and he went just 1-10 as a replacement starter, but his professional approach and decent production (18 TDs, 10 INTs, 85.7 rating in 13 total games) at least brought some sense of competitiveness to an otherwise dismal program.

7. Jacoby Brissett (2022)

No one could've known, when Brissett started in place of the suspended Deshaun Watson to open his lone season in Cleveland, that the placeholder would end up being a much more stable option. He was passable, if unspectacular, in a 4-7 stretch as the No. 1, but that's still more than most can say about their tenure in Cleveland.

6. Kelly Holcomb (2002-2004)

The former Colts backup didn't start more than eight games in any of his four seasons with the Browns, but he had arguably the best playoff performance of any quarterback in team history, throwing 429 yards and three touchdowns in a wild-card shootout with the Steelers that ended the 2002 campaign.

5. Brian Hoyer (2013-2014)

Originally Tom Brady's backup in New England, Hoyer got 16 different starts across two years in Cleveland and inspired an improbable amount of confidence as a late-game scrapper, leading five different fourth-quarter comebacks. It was a flash in the pan for a career No. 2, but it was good enough for a combined 10-6 record.

4. Joe Flacco (2023, 2025)

Flacco, who was just benched in his second stint with the club, has only logged nine combined starts with the Browns. But the ex-Ravens stalwart and Super Bowl champion provided much-needed stability as a last-minute injury replacement in 2023, opening up the downfield passing game en route to a surprise playoff appearance.

3. Tim Couch (1999-2003)

The Kentucky product may be synonymous with the Browns' endless quarterback conundrum as the No. 1 pick of the franchise's 1999 expansion team, but considering the dearth of talent he inherited, the fact he survived five years as Cleveland's starter, showcasing first-round pocket-passing ability at all, is a minor miracle.

2. Derek Anderson (2006-2009)

He didn't last as a bona fide starter, but his peak in 2007, after replacing Charlie Frye early in the year, was arguably the best stretch of Browns quarterbacking on the list. The 6-foot-6 Anderson slung it with authority, helping Braylon Edwards to a career year and finishing with 29 touchdown passes and a 10-6 record.

1. Baker Mayfield (2018-2021)

He may be more reliable now as the spirited leader of the Buccaneers, but Mayfield flashed some of his trademark tenacity as Cleveland's No. 1 pick. Forced throws led to quite a few picks, including 21 as a second-year vet, but even his final down season was partially due to his willingness to play through shoulder pain for a sinking roster. Again, he may have indirectly needed a Browns breakup to become what he is today, but he did a lot to make Cleveland scrappy in a short period of time, peaking with a strong playoff performance in 2020.