Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1946 in the All-America Football Conference and named after their first coach, Paul Brown. They joined the NFL in 1950. When the original franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996, the Browns’ name, colors and history stayed in Cleveland, and the team returned to the field in 1999. Today the Browns compete in the AFC North.

Championship history

The early Browns were a dynasty. They won all four AAFC championships from 1946 to 1949, then won the NFL title in their very first NFL season in 1950. Cleveland added NFL championships in 1954, 1955 and 1964, the last one led by Jim Brown. The Browns came close to the Super Bowl in the 1980s but lost three AFC Championship Games to the Denver Broncos, including the famous games known as “The Drive” and “The Fumble.”

Best players in Browns history

• Jim Brown – Hall of Famer and widely considered the greatest running back in NFL history.
• Otto Graham – Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Browns to a title game in every one of his 10 seasons.
• Lou Groza – “The Toe,” Hall of Fame kicker and tackle.
• Marion Motley and Bill Willis – Hall of Famers who helped break pro football’s color barrier in 1946.
• Ozzie Newsome – Hall of Fame tight end and one of the best ever at his position.
• Joe Thomas – Hall of Fame left tackle who played more than 10,000 consecutive snaps.
• Paul Warfield and Leroy Kelly – Hall of Fame playmakers from the 1960s.
• Myles Garrett – Dominant pass rusher and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

Biggest rivalries

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been Cleveland’s top rival since 1950 in a series often called the Turnpike Rivalry. The Cincinnati Bengals are the other half of the Battle of Ohio, and games against the Baltimore Ravens, the former Browns franchise, carry extra emotion.