Most NFL fans know that the Cleveland Browns have been an inconsistent team for many years. They’re a franchise that hasn’t had back-to-back winning seasons since the 1980s. That’s right, since the ’80s. They’re also one of the few teams to have never won the Super Bowl. And going into the 2025 season, things look even worse.
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But why worse? Well, the QB situation, for one, as they’re in the middle of a battle between Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco, and others. Cleveland fans surely hoped that some of the negatives tied to their name would be erased this year, like their record for the fewest wins.
Yes, the team recorded the lowest number of victories from July 2005 to July 2025, with just 111 — an awful mark. And it’s not just that they have the fewest wins in the last 20 years; they comfortably own that title. They have 8 fewer than the second-place Raiders. Additionally, the gap between the Browns and the fifth-place Lions is a staggering 22 wins. So, they aren’t shedding that moniker anytime soon.
With a QB competition still underway between Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco, it doesn’t seem like the team is confident in who will be taking the majority of snaps under center in 2025. And with the most important position in sports still unsettled, it’s hard to believe they’ll find success.
Former NFL QB and analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick believes Flacco should win the job, mainly citing his experience with the team and overall resume.
“If I was a betting man, Joe Flacco is gonna go into the year as the starter. He has history there, he has success there, and I think it’s a great story. He’s a guy that’ll bring calm, he’s the guy that’s going to be able to get them off on the right foot,” Fitzpatrick told Good Morning Football.
It’s a hard prediction to dispute. Flacco took over in Week 14 of the 2023 season for the Browns and led them to a 4-1 record down the stretch, securing a Wild Card spot. They promptly lost, but he showed he’s still capable of competing in the NFL.
However, Flacco is now 40, and with younger guns like Shedeur waiting in the wings, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kevin Stefanski give him, or another player, a shot if things don’t go according to plan. But Fitz believes a different rookie is next in line if Flacco falters.
“As the season goes along, when you draft guys early, and when you have young exciting guys, they’re excited for Gabriel, we could see him inserted into the lineup,” Fitz said.
We’ll see if Dillon Gabriel gets the nod over Shedeur. He had the higher draft capital, but rumors suggest the latter has looked visibly better than the former in camp. We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s true.
Alongside the Browns as the least winning franchises in the past 20 years are some other dismal teams. Second is the previously mentioned Raiders with 119 wins. Then there’s the Jacksonville Jaguars with 120. And of course, the New York Jets slot in fourth with 129.
So, the proof is in the pudding, and our eyes haven’t been deceiving us. We clown on those four franchises for fun, but also because they somewhat deserve it. Their incompetence has been unrivaled for 20 years now. Some franchises have nearly, or even over, 100 more wins of separation between them and the Browns since then.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Cleveland knows they’re still in the thick of a rebuild. And although they were able to get Myles Garrett to stick around with a king’s ransom, the ongoing QB issues between Shedeur and the rest of the lot could be another thorn in their side in 2025, ultimately keeping them stuck at the bottom of the NFL.
