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RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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Cleveland Browns logo

Cleveland Browns
Seasons 1946-2021 (76 seasons)

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Teams Cleveland Browns Jim-brown-was-a-beast Seasons

Recap

The Cleveland Browns franchise was founded in 1945 by Brown and businessman Arthur B. McBride as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The Browns dominated the AAFC, compiling a 47–4–3 record in the league's four seasons and winning its championship in each. When the AAFC folded after the 1949 season, the Browns joined the NFL along with the San Francisco 49ers and the original Baltimore Colts. The team won a championship in their inaugural NFL season, as well as in the 1954, 1955, and 1964 seasons, and in a feat unequaled in any of the North American major professional sports, played in their league championship game in each of the Browns' first ten years of existence. From 1965 to 1995, they qualified to play in the NFL playoffs 14 times, but did not win another championship or play in the Super Bowl during that period.

In 1995, owner Art Modell, who had purchased the Browns in 1961, announced plans to move the team to Baltimore. After threats of legal action from the city of Cleveland and fans, a compromise was reached in early 1996 that allowed Modell to establish the Baltimore Ravens as a new franchise while retaining the contracts of all Browns personnel. The Browns' intellectual property, including team name, logos, training facility, and history, were kept in trust and the franchise was regarded by the NFL as suspended for three seasons. While several of the then-30 existing franchises considered re-locating to Cleveland, in 1998 it was confirmed that the NFL would field 31 teams when the Browns resumed play in 1999, thus while the 1999 Browns were not technically considered to be an expansion franchise, the club's roster was re-stocked via an expansion draft.

Since resuming operations in 1999, the Browns have struggled to find success. They have had only three winning seasons (2002, 2007, and 2020), two playoff appearances (2002 and 2020), and one playoff win (2020), winning less than one third of their games in total. The franchise has also been noted for a lack of stability with head coaches (10 full time and two interim since 1999) and quarterbacks (30 different starters since 1999). From 2003 to 2019, the Browns had a 17-season playoff drought, which ended during the 2020 season.

Close
Season Overviews Seasons List
2021 Cleveland Browns Season
2021 Cleveland Browns
8-9 (.471)
Missed Playoffs
2020 Cleveland Browns Season
2020 Cleveland Browns
11-5 (.688)
Lost Division Championship
2019 Cleveland Browns Season
2019 Cleveland Browns
6-10 (.375)
Missed Playoffs
2018 Cleveland Browns Season
2018 Cleveland Browns
7-8 (.469)
Missed Playoffs
2017 Cleveland Browns Season
2017 Cleveland Browns
0-16 (.000)
Missed Playoffs
2016 Cleveland Browns Season
2016 Cleveland Browns
1-15 (.063)
Missed Playoffs
2015 Cleveland Browns Season
2015 Cleveland Browns
3-13 (.188)
Missed Playoffs
2014 Cleveland Browns Season
2014 Cleveland Browns
7-9 (.438)
Missed Playoffs
2013 Cleveland Browns Season
2013 Cleveland Browns
4-12 (.250)
Missed Playoffs
2012 Cleveland Browns Season
2012 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
2011 Cleveland Browns Season
2011 Cleveland Browns
4-12 (.250)
Missed Playoffs
2010 Cleveland Browns Season
2010 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
2009 Cleveland Browns Season
2009 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
2008 Cleveland Browns Season
2008 Cleveland Browns
4-12 (.250)
Missed Playoffs
2007 Cleveland Browns Season
2007 Cleveland Browns
10-6 (.625)
Missed Playoffs
2006 Cleveland Browns Season
2006 Cleveland Browns
4-12 (.250)
Missed Playoffs
2005 Cleveland Browns Season
2005 Cleveland Browns
6-10 (.375)
Missed Playoffs
2004 Cleveland Browns Season
2004 Cleveland Browns
4-12 (.250)
Missed Playoffs
2003 Cleveland Browns Season
2003 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
2002 Cleveland Browns Season
2002 Cleveland Browns
9-7 (.563)
Lost Wild Card Game
2001 Cleveland Browns Season
2001 Cleveland Browns
7-9 (.438)
Missed Playoffs
2000 Cleveland Browns Season
2000 Cleveland Browns
3-13 (.188)
Missed Playoffs
1999 Cleveland Browns Season
1999 Cleveland Browns
2-14 (.125)
Missed Playoffs
1995 Cleveland Browns Season
1995 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
1994 Cleveland Browns Season
1994 Cleveland Browns
11-5 (.688)
Lost Division Championship
1993 Cleveland Browns Season
1993 Cleveland Browns
7-9 (.438)
Missed Playoffs
1992 Cleveland Browns Season
1992 Cleveland Browns
7-9 (.438)
Missed Playoffs
1991 Cleveland Browns Season
1991 Cleveland Browns
6-10 (.375)
Missed Playoffs
1990 Cleveland Browns Season
1990 Cleveland Browns
3-13 (.188)
Missed Playoffs
1989 Cleveland Browns Season
1989 Cleveland Browns
9-6 (.594)
Lost AFC/NFC Championship
1988 Cleveland Browns Season
1988 Cleveland Browns
10-6 (.625)
Lost Wild Card Game
1987 Cleveland Browns Season
1987 Cleveland Browns
10-5 (.667)
Lost AFC/NFC Championship
1986 Cleveland Browns Season
1986 Cleveland Browns
12-4 (.750)
Lost AFC/NFC Championship
1985 Cleveland Browns Season
1985 Cleveland Browns
8-8 (.500)
Lost Division Championship
1984 Cleveland Browns Season
1984 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
1983 Cleveland Browns Season
1983 Cleveland Browns
9-7 (.563)
Missed Playoffs
1982 Cleveland Browns Season
1982 Cleveland Browns
4-5 (.444)
Lost Wild Card Game
1981 Cleveland Browns Season
1981 Cleveland Browns
5-11 (.313)
Missed Playoffs
1980 Cleveland Browns Season
1980 Cleveland Browns
11-5 (.688)
Lost Division Championship
1979 Cleveland Browns Season
1979 Cleveland Browns
9-7 (.563)
Missed Playoffs
1978 Cleveland Browns Season
1978 Cleveland Browns
8-8 (.500)
Missed Playoffs
1977 Cleveland Browns Season
1977 Cleveland Browns
6-8 (.429)
Missed Playoffs
1976 Cleveland Browns Season
1976 Cleveland Browns
9-5 (.643)
Missed Playoffs
1975 Cleveland Browns Season
1975 Cleveland Browns
3-11 (.214)
Missed Playoffs
1974 Cleveland Browns Season
1974 Cleveland Browns
4-10 (.286)
Missed Playoffs
1973 Cleveland Browns Season
1973 Cleveland Browns
7-5 (.571)
Missed Playoffs
1972 Cleveland Browns Season
1972 Cleveland Browns
10-4 (.714)
Lost Division Championship
1971 Cleveland Browns Season
1971 Cleveland Browns
9-5 (.643)
Lost Division Championship
1970 Cleveland Browns Season
1970 Cleveland Browns
7-7 (.500)
Missed Playoffs
1969 Cleveland Browns Season
1969 Cleveland Browns
10-3 (.750)
Lost NFL Championship
1968 Cleveland Browns Season
1968 Cleveland Browns
10-4 (.714)
Lost NFL Championship
1967 Cleveland Browns Season
1967 Cleveland Browns
9-5 (.643)
Lost NFL Divisionals
1966 Cleveland Browns Season
1966 Cleveland Browns
9-5 (.643)
Missed Playoffs
1965 Cleveland Browns Season
1965 Cleveland Browns
11-3 (.786)
Lost NFL Championship
1964 Cleveland Browns Season
1964 Cleveland Browns
10-3 (.750)
Won NFL Championship
1963 Cleveland Browns Season
1963 Cleveland Browns
10-4 (.714)
Missed Playoffs
1962 Cleveland Browns Season
1962 Cleveland Browns
7-6 (.536)
Missed Playoffs
1961 Cleveland Browns Season
1961 Cleveland Browns
8-5 (.607)
Missed Playoffs
1960 Cleveland Browns Season
1960 Cleveland Browns
8-3 (.708)
Missed Playoffs
1959 Cleveland Browns Season
1959 Cleveland Browns
7-5 (.583)
Missed Playoffs
1958 Cleveland Browns Season
1958 Cleveland Browns
9-3 (.750)
Lost Tiebreaker Game
1957 Cleveland Browns Season
1957 Cleveland Browns
9-2 (.792)
Lost NFL Championship
1956 Cleveland Browns Season
1956 Cleveland Browns
5-7 (.417)
Missed Playoffs
1955 Cleveland Browns Season
1955 Cleveland Browns
9-2 (.792)
Won NFL Championship
1954 Cleveland Browns Season
1954 Cleveland Browns
9-3 (.750)
Won NFL Championship
1953 Cleveland Browns Season
1953 Cleveland Browns
11-2 (.846)
Lost NFL Championship
1952 Cleveland Browns Season
1952 Cleveland Browns
8-4 (.667)
Lost NFL Championship
1951 Cleveland Browns Season
1951 Cleveland Browns
11-1 (.917)
Lost NFL Championship
1950 Cleveland Browns Season
1950 Cleveland Browns
10-2 (.833)
Won NFL Championship
1949 Cleveland Browns Season
1949 Cleveland Browns
9-1 (.833)
Won AAFC Championship
1948 Cleveland Browns Season
1948 Cleveland Browns
14-0 (1.000)
Won AAFC Championship
1947 Cleveland Browns Season
1947 Cleveland Browns
12-1 (.893)
Won AAFC Championship
1946 Cleveland Browns Season
1946 Cleveland Browns
12-2 (.857)
Won AAFC Championship

Related Content

Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Cleveland Browns Seasons
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Broadcast of 1957 NFL Championship Game audio clip

Play MP3 Audio

Broadcast of 1957 NFL Championship Game
3 hours Dec 29, 1957
The Detroit Lions destroyed the Cleveland Brown, 59-14 in the 1957 NFL Championship. Detroit had won the regular-season game 20–7
Broadcast of 1957 NFL Championship Game / The Detroit Lions destroyed the Cleveland Brown, 59-14 in the 1957 NFL Championship. Detroit had won the regular-season game 20–7 three weeks earlier on December 8, also at Briggs Stadium, but lost quarterback Bobby Layne for the season with a broken right ankle late in the first half.
Cleveland Browns Media Guidepublication
Cleveland Browns Media Guide
80 issues 1946-2025
This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history,...
/ This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history, and season schedule. Released annually, it serves journalists, broadcasters, and fans by offering accurate profiles, statistics, and historical records. The guide enhances media coverage, fan engagement, and promotional efforts.
Marion Motley: Cleveland Browns Star of 1949 NFL Season Highlightspublication
Marion Motley: Cleveland Browns Star of 1949 NFL Season Highlights
Page from publication 1949
Billed as "The illustrated digest of all sports". Monthly digest magazine that competed with Sports...
/ Billed as "The illustrated digest of all sports". Monthly digest magazine that competed with Sports Digest in covering stories in sports such as baseball, football, basketball, swimming, horse racing, boxing, tennis, and golf.
Otto Graham: Key Quarterback of the Cleveland Browns' Passing Attackpublication
Otto Graham: Key Quarterback of the Cleveland Browns' Passing Attack
Page from publication 1949
Billed as "The illustrated digest of all sports". Monthly digest magazine that competed with Sports...
/ Billed as "The illustrated digest of all sports". Monthly digest magazine that competed with Sports Digest in covering stories in sports such as baseball, football, basketball, swimming, horse racing, boxing, tennis, and golf.
1967 Cleveland Browns Depth Chart from Vintage NFL Magazine Articlepublication
1967 Cleveland Browns Depth Chart from Vintage NFL Magazine Article
Page from publication 1967
...
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1967 Cleveland Browns Key Players Highlighted in Vintage Articlepublication
1967 Cleveland Browns Key Players Highlighted in Vintage Article
Page from publication 1967
...
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1967 Cleveland Browns Key Players in NFL Football Historypublication
1967 Cleveland Browns Key Players in NFL Football History
Page from publication 1967
...
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1967 Cleveland Browns Play Chart with Offensive Football Strategiespublication
1967 Cleveland Browns Play Chart with Offensive Football Strategies
Page from publication 1967
...
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Cleveland Browns Defense: Dominating 1967 NFL Match Against Giants.publication
Cleveland Browns Defense: Dominating 1967 NFL Match Against Giants.
Page from publication 1967
...
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Carl Eller Pursues Jerry Rhome in 1970 Vikings vs. Browns Gamepublication
Carl Eller Pursues Jerry Rhome in 1970 Vikings vs. Browns Game
Page from publication 1970
The official NFL guide, published under several different titles over the years....
/ The official NFL guide, published under several different titles over the years.

Browns History

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