From Johnny Manziel to Deshaun Watson: This is the long list of Cleveland Browns’ quarterbacks in the last 10 years

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are looking to start their 41st quarterback since 2000. And in just the last 10 years alone, they’ve had 19 starting quarterbacks. It’s a curse they have been dealing with since the turn of the century. Whether it was overhyped draft picks like DeShone Kizer and Johnny Manziel, uninspired fill-ins like Austin Davis and Doug Pederson, or one-game disasters like Bruce Gradkowski and Spurgon Wynn, the Browns’ situation has been grim for some time now.

All the Browns quarterbacks in the last 10 years

In the last ten years, there were only two seasons in which the Browns had just one starting quarterback (Baker Mayfield, 2019 and 2020). The rest of the decade saw multiple starters each year including five in 2023 and four in 2024.

And heading into 2025, they’ve got five quarterbacks on the roster (four of whom are new this year): Veterans Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. While it’s likely at least one will be cut before the season starts, the starting position is still a big question mark for the Browns.

Here are all the quarterbacks the Browns have started in the last 10 years.

2015

1. Josh McCown (8)
2. Johnny Manziel (6)
3. Austin Davis (2)

2016

1. Cody Kessler (8)
2. Robert Griffin III (5)
3. Josh McCown (3)

2017

1. DeShone Kizer (15)
2. Kevin Hogan (1)

2018

1. Baker Mayfield (13)
2. Tyrod Taylor (3)

2019

1. Baker Mayfield (16)

2020

1. Baker Mayfield (16)

2021

1. Baker Mayfield (14)
2. Case Keenum (2)
3. Nick Mullens (1)

2022

1. Jacoby Brissett (11)
2. Deshaun Watson (6)

2023

1. Deshaun Watson (6)
2. Joe Flacco (5)
3. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (3)
4. P. J. Walker (2)
5. Jeff Driskel (1)

2024

1. Jameis Winston (7)
2. Deshaun Watson (7)
3. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (2)
4. Bailey Zappe (1)

Players like Dorian Thompson Robinson, who, despite being a recent draft pick with talent around him, showed little promise and posted historically poor numbers in limited action, and Deshaun Watson, who has dramatically underperformed relative to his expectations and historic contract, are reminders of the ongoing frustration and heartbreak of Browns fans who just keep watching disappointing quarterbacks come and go.

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