When Robert Griffin III takes the field in Week One, he will be the Browns’ 25th starting quarterback since the franchise returned from its three-year hiatus in 1999.
Griffin, who was officially named the Browns’ starter today, joins a long list of starting quarterbacks in Cleveland that includes first-round draft busts, veterans who came to Cleveland at the ends of their careers, young quarterbacks who later had more success elsewhere, and both McCown brothers.
Here’s the full list of Browns quarterbacks since they re-entered the league as an expansion team in 1999: Tim Couch, Ty Detmer, Doug Pederson, Spergon Wynn, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Ken Dorsey, Brady Quinn, Bruce Gradkowski, Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Brandon Weeden, Thaddeus Lewis, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw, Josh McCown, Austin Davis, Robert Griffin III.
The Browns aren’t the only team starting a new quarterback in Week One this season. Another team that will have a new quarterback in place in Week One is the Patriots, who will lose Tom Brady to a four-game Deflategate suspension.
Here’s the entire list of Patriots starting quarterbacks since 1999: Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo.
We’ll see if Griffin can be the Browns’ best quarterback since they returned to the NFL. That’s a pretty low bar to clear.