Cleveland Browns Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on February 2, 2026)

The Cleveland Browns have a very complicated history. On the glorious side, they won eight NFL titles and reached five other championship games between 1946 and 1964. On the depressing side, they haven’t even been to a Super Bowl, and the franchise relocated after the 1995 season before being reformed in 1999. Since restarting the team, the Browns have only had four winning years in 27 seasons. Their merry-go-round struggles at quarterback are well documented and have become the object of widespread ridicule. However, if we go back in time, way back in time, we will find that this maligned franchise has had their fair share of steady QBs. Let’s hop in the time machine and revisit Municipal Stadium on the lakefront. There we will find the top quarterbacks of all time for the Cleveland Browns.

Bill Nelsen was the Cleveland Browns quarterback in the late 60s and early 70s, and he got them to the doorstep of the Super Bowl twice. Nelson had an impressive regular-season record of 34-16-1 for Cleveland. In 1968, he threw for 2,366 yards/19 touchdowns and was third in MVP voting. The Browns got to the Conference Championship Game but lost to the Baltimore Colts. The following year he bested those numbers with 2,743 yards and 23 TDs, but once again the Browns fell in the Conference Championship Game to the Minnesota Vikings. To get to those conference title matchups, Bill led Cleveland to playoff wins over Dallas two years in a row (posting a 103.8 passer rating in one of those victories). In four of his five seasons with the Browns, the team advanced to at least the Divisional Round of the postseason. Although his stats aren’t overwhelming, this former USC Trojan threw for nearly 10,000 yards for the franchise. Getting your team to the postseason is a major priority, and since Bill Nelsen did that consistently, he gets a spot with the top Cleveland Browns quarterbacks ever. 

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Let’s jump in the hot tub time machine and head back to the 80s. Ironically, that movie gave a shout out to Bernie Kosar and the Cleveland Browns. Kosar was one of the best Browns quarterbacks of all time, and he got the team very close to that elusive Super Bowl berth. This QB from the U is third all time in passing yards (21,904) and fourth in passing touchdowns (116) for Cleveland, and he had four seasons of 3,000+ passing yards. But, most importantly, the Browns went to the playoffs every year from ‘85-’89 and reached three AFC Championship Games. They devastatingly lost to the Broncos in both ‘86 and ‘87; you’ve probably heard of The Drive and The Fumble. In those two postseasons, Bernie threw for a total of 1,333 yards and nine TDs. Then #19 got Cleveland to the AFC Title tilt again in ‘89, but again they were defeated by Elway and the Broncos. After leaving the Browns, Kosar did collect a Super Bowl ring as a backup for Dallas. Bernie Kosar wasn’t the most dynamic signal-caller ever, but he helped make the Cleveland Browns a consistent contender in the 80s, so he belongs with the top quarterbacks in Browns history.

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Brian Sipe was a 13th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1972, and he went on to be one of their top quarterbacks ever. Sipe is the Browns all-time leader in passing yards (23,713) and is second in TD tosses (154). During his time in Cleveland, the Browns were generally a .500 team, as his career record of 57-55 indicates. However, Sipe did get the team to the playoffs twice (1980 and 1982). 1980 was a special year for this quarterback … he was the NFL MVP and set still-standing franchise marks with 4,132 yards in the air and 30 touchdown strikes. The Browns went 11-5 but lost a tight playoff battle 14-12 to the eventual champion Oakland Raiders. That was really the Browns best chance with Sipe at the helm. Another notable number from this QB were his 23 game-winning drives (also the franchise leader). From 1974 to 1983, Cleveland maintained a respectable record with Brian Sipe, and he set some important franchise passing records, so he can be called one of the greatest Browns quarterbacks of all time. 

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Who was the last Cleveland Browns quarterback to lead the team to a championship? That would be Frank Ryan in 1964. Ryan was one of the best quarterbacks in Browns history. He threw for 134 TDs (third in team history) and 13,361 yards (fifth in team history) in Cleveland. From 1963 to 1967, Frank’s record as the Browns starter was 48-17-1. He went to three Pro Bowls and twice led the NFL in TD passes (25 in ‘64 and 29 in ‘66). In the 1964 NFL Championship Game, the Browns steamrolled the Colts 27-0, fueled by their quarterback’s three passing TDs and a 117.1 passer rating. The following year the Browns returned to the title game but lost to Lombardi’s Packers. Although he had the incomparable Jim Brown in his backfield, Ryan was an efficient runner and had three seasons of 200+ rushing yards. Frank Ryan’s impressive record as the Cleveland starting QB speaks for itself, so when you combine that with the franchise’s most recent NFL championship, Ryan easily ranks with the top Browns quarterbacks of all time.

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How is this for efficiency? In Otto Graham’s 10-year career as the Cleveland quarterback, the Browns won seven titles and made the championship game every season. Because of the team’s success and his gaudy stats, many would consider Otto Graham the greatest quarterback in Cleveland Browns history. Legendary coach Paul Brown handpicked Graham to run his offense for his new franchise that started in 1946. Originally a part of the AAFC (All-America Football Conference), the Browns won a championship in their first season behind their rookie QB’s 17 passing TDs to only 5 INTs and 112.1 passer rating. The following three years the Browns continued to win titles, and Otto the Great led the AAFC in passing yards and Y/C each year. In 1950, the Browns joined the NFL and immediately won the title when Graham threw for 298 yards, 4 touchdowns, and had a 122.2 passer rating in the NFL Championship Game vs. the Rams. Then after losing the title game in ‘51, ‘52, and ‘53, Automatic Otto and the Browns won the championship in ‘54 and ‘55. In Graham’s final game, this seven-time First-Team All-Pro won the NFL Championship Game over the Rams 38-14 with two passing TDs and two rushing TDs. This Hall of Famer is still the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (174) and wins for a QB (57-13-1). After digesting all of these monumental accomplishments, it would be hard not to call Otto Graham the top quarterback of all time for the Cleveland Browns.

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 3:44 pm and is filed under Top Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.