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NFL/Teams/Cleveland Browns
FRANCHISE

NFL franchise story

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland dominated the AAFC, carried that standard into the NFL with Otto Graham and Jim Brown, then endured relocation and a difficult rebirth while protecting one of football's deepest civic bonds.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Cleveland Browns.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Cleveland Browns official NFL team page ↗
The beginning↓
01▼

Franchise era

1946—1955

01
CLEGRAHAM14Otto Graham
CLEMOTLEY—Marion Motley
CLEGROZA76Lou Groza

Ten championship games in ten seasons

The Otto Graham machine

Paul Brown's integrated, innovative team won every AAFC title and then immediately captured the 1950 NFL championship.

Read the era story →

Chapter 01

1946—1955

02▼

Franchise era

1956—1965

02
CLEBROWN32Jim Brown
CLERYAN—Frank Ryan
CLEWARFIELD—Paul Warfield

The greatest runner becomes the entire geometry

Jim Brown and the 1964 title

Brown led the league in rushing eight times in nine seasons and powered Cleveland's most recent championship in 1964.

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Chapter 02

1956—1965

03▼

Franchise era

1966—1984

03
CLESIPE—Brian Sipe
CLENEWSOME—Ozzie Newsome
CLEPRUITT—Greg Pruitt

Sipe's late-game offense revives Cleveland

From contention to the Kardiac Kids

The Browns remained competitive after Brown and later found a new identity in Sipe's dramatic 1980 MVP season.

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Chapter 03

1966—1984

04▼

Franchise era

1985—1995

04
CLEKOSAR19Bernie Kosar
CLEMATTHEWS—Clay Matthews Jr.
CLEBYNER21Earnest Byner

Three AFC title games, three painful endings

Kosar and the Denver heartbreaks

A homegrown contender reached three conference championship games in four seasons before The Drive and The Fumble became permanent Cleveland memories.

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Chapter 04

1985—1995

05▼

Franchise era

1999—2017

05
CLETHOMAS73Joe Thomas
CLECRIBBS16Josh Cribbs
CLEHADEN23Joe Haden

An expansion-style rebirth becomes a long rebuild

The Browns return

The restored franchise returned in 1999 but cycled through leadership and quarterbacks, with Thomas providing Hall of Fame stability amid the turnover.

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Chapter 05

1999—2017

06

Franchise era

2018—present

06
CLEGARRETT95Myles Garrett
CLECHUBB24Nick Chubb
CLEWARD21Denzel Ward

A playoff breakthrough opens another complicated chapter

Talent returns, stability does not

Cleveland ended its long playoff-win drought in 2020 and built an elite defense around Garrett, but quarterback decisions have kept the era unsettled.

Read the era story →

Chapter 06

2018—present

◆Present day

The essential watchlist

Five Cleveland Browns games to start with.

Curated from the franchise’s defining eras, championship stakes and the games that still carry its story.

#01 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship
1950
LOS ANGELESRAMS
CLEVELANDBROWNS
1950-12-24

Los Angeles Rams vs Cleveland Browns

1950-12-24

#02 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship
1964
BALTIMORECOLTS
CLEVELANDBROWNS
1964-12-27

Baltimore Colts vs Cleveland Browns

1964-12-27

#03 · Divisional Round

Divisional Round
1968
DALLASCOWBOYS
CLEVELANDBROWNS
1968-12-21

Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns

1968-12-21

#04 · Divisional Round

Divisional Round
1986
NEW YORKJETS
CLEVELANDBROWNS
1987-01-03

New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns

1987-01-03

#05 · Wild Card

Wild Card
2002
CLEVELANDBROWNS
PITTSBURGHSTEELERS
2003-01-05

Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers

2003-01-05

Season history

Every season

78 seasons · newest first

Game archive

Latest games

1,197 total · loaded 10 at a time