History of Cleveland Browns in Timeline

The Cleveland Browns are an NFL team based in Cleveland, Ohio, competing in the AFC North division. Named after their original coach, Paul Brown, they play at Huntington Bank Field. The team's colors are brown, orange, and white. Uniquely, the Browns do not feature a logo on their helmets.

1950: Browns Introduced non-orange helmets

In 2023, the Browns introduced new "White Out" uniforms, an all-white uniform, featuring a white helmet, that will be worn during select home games. This will mark the first time since 1950 the Browns will have non-orange helmets.

1950: Teams Played Annually since 1950

Since 1950, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers have played twice annually, making it the oldest rivalry in the AFC and the fifth-oldest in the NFL.

1954: First Overall Pick

In 1954, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

1961: TV numbers appeared on jersey sleeves

In 1961, secondary numerals, referred to as "TV numbers," were introduced on the sleeves of the Cleveland Browns jerseys.

1963: No Browns Inductees

In 1963, during the inaugural induction class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, no Cleveland Browns players were inducted.

1964: Modell scheduled home games against Steelers

From 1964 to 1970, former Browns owner Art Modell scheduled home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday nights to fuel the rivalry.

1964: Reference to 1964 NFL Championship

In 2005, the Browns in-house production team won an Emmy for a primetime special honoring the 1964 NFL Championship team.

1965: Otto Graham Enshrined

In 1965, Otto Graham became the first Cleveland Browns player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1968: First revision to sleeve stripes

In 1968, the first minor revision to the Cleveland Browns' jersey sleeve stripes occurred, with brown jerseys worn in the early season.

1969: Stripes silkscreened onto jerseys

In 1969, the white and brown Cleveland Browns jerseys had their stripes silkscreened onto the sleeves, separated to prevent color bleeding.

1970: Modell scheduled home games against Steelers

From 1964 to 1970, former Browns owner Art Modell scheduled home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday nights to fuel the rivalry.

1970: Placement in AFC Central

In 1970, after the AFL-NFL merger, the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Oilers were placed in the AFC Central division, leading to them playing each other twice annually.

1970: Conference Placement

In 1970, the Cleveland Browns were placed in opposite conferences from the San Francisco 49ers, which reduced the frequency of their games and lessened their rivalry.

1970: NFL-AFL merger of 1970

Since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970, the teams have met much less frequently with the Browns' move to the AFC.

1975: Orange pants debut

In 1975, orange pants with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence were introduced and worn by the Cleveland Browns.

1981: Hanford Dixon Joins Browns

In 1981, Hanford Dixon began his career playing cornerback for the Cleveland Browns.

1983: Last time wearing orange pants

1983 marked the last year the Cleveland Browns wore orange pants with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence regularly, which became symbolic of the "Kardiac Kids" era.

1984: Dawg Pound Name Adoption

In 1984, Cleveland Browns fans adopted the name 'Dawg Pound' for the bleacher section in the east end of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, after members of the Browns defense used it to describe the team's defense.

1984: Uniform Redesign

In 1984, the Cleveland Browns' uniform was completely redesigned (other than the helmet), including new striping patterns on the white jerseys, brown jerseys, and pants, as well as solid brown and orange socks.

1984: Solid brown socks appeared

Since 1984, Experimentation with the uniform design began in 2002. An alternate orange jersey was introduced that season as the NFL encouraged teams to adopt a third jersey, and a major design change was made when solid brown socks appeared for the first time .

1984: Basic stripe sequence exception

The basic five-stripe sequence on the Cleveland Browns jersey was altered during the 1984 season.

1985: Uniform Returned to Original Design

In 1985, the Cleveland Browns' uniform was returned to a look similar to the original design, after an unpopular redesign the previous year.

1985: Sleeve stripe pattern

Since the 1985 season, The white jersey has had that sleeve stripe pattern on a consistent basis.

1986: The Drive

In the 1986 AFC Championship, quarterback John Elway led The Drive to secure a tie in the waning moments at Cleveland Municipal Stadium; the Broncos went on to win in 23–20 in overtime.

1987: The Fumble

In the 1987 AFC Championship game at Mile High Stadium, Broncos' safety Jeremiah Castille stripped Browns' running back Earnest Byner of the football at the 2-yard line—a play that has been called The Fumble by Browns' fans.

1988: Playoff Meeting

In 1988, the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Oilers had their only playoff meeting in the Wild Card Round, with the Oilers winning 24–23.

1989: Hanford Dixon's Final Season

1989 marks the end of Hanford Dixon's career with the Cleveland Browns.

1989: Controversial Browns' win

In the 1989 regular season, the Browns had a controversial 16–13 win at Cleveland Municipal Stadium due to rowdy Dawg Pound fans who pelted the Broncos with dog biscuits, eggs and other debris, forcing the teams to switch ends of the field.

1989: AFC Championship Game

The Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos met yet again in the 1989 AFC Championship at Mile High Stadium, which the Broncos easily won by a score of 37–21.

1991: Broncos winning streak

From 1991 to 2015, the Broncos won 11 straight meetings against the Cleveland Browns.

1994: Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs

The Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs in 1994, with the Steelers holding a 2-1 lead in the postseason series.

1995: Draft picks for the Ravens

Created as a result of the Browns' relocation controversy, the rivalry between the Browns and Baltimore Ravens was more directed at Art Modell than the team itself, and is simply considered a divisional game in Baltimore. This matchup is more bitter for Cleveland due to the fact that the draft picks for 1995 to 1998 resulted in the rosters that won the Super Bowl for the Ravens in 2000.

1995: Uniform Remained Similar to Original Design

Until 1995, the Cleveland Browns uniform remained similar to the original design, following its return to a classic look in 1985.

1996: Browns Inactive

From 1996 to 1998, the Cleveland Browns were inactive, leading to no games being played against the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans during those years.

1998: Draft picks for the Ravens

1999: 49ers Personnel Help Browns Relaunch

In 1999, former San Francisco 49ers president and CEO Carmen Policy and vice president/director of football operations Dwight Clark were hired by the expansion Cleveland Browns to help relaunch the team.

1999: First Overall Pick

In 1999, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

1999: Expansion Browns adopted traditional design

In 1999, the expansion Browns adopted the traditional uniform design with some exceptions: the TV numbers were moved to the shoulders, and the orange-brown-orange pants stripes were significantly widened.

1999: Bengals edge

Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, the Bengals have a 28-21 edge, but the series has been more competitive than the Browns' series with their other division rivals.

1999: Steelers dominant

Since the Browns returned to the league in 1999, the Steelers have gone 36-9-1 against the Browns.

1999: Rivalry has cooled

Though the rivalry has cooled in Pittsburgh due to the Modell move as well as the Browns' poor play since 1999, the Steelers still remain the top rival for Cleveland.

2000: Super Bowl for the Ravens

2000: First Overall Pick

In 2000, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

2002: "Great Lakes Classic"

From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".

2002: Divisional Realignment

In 2002, divisional realignment placed the Cleveland Browns in the AFC North and the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) in the AFC South, reducing the frequency of their games.

2002: Experimentation with uniform design began

In 2002, the Cleveland Browns began experimenting with uniform design, introducing an alternate orange jersey and solid brown socks.

2002: Addition of "AL" to honor Al Lerner

In 2002, the initials "AL" were added to the Cleveland Browns' jerseys to honor team owner Al Lerner, who passed away.

2002: Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs

The Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs in 2002, with the Steelers holding a 2-1 lead in the postseason series.

2003: Pants stripes variations

In 2003, the Cleveland Browns replaced the traditional orange-brown-orange stripes on the white pants with two variations of a brown-orange-brown sequence.

2003: Orange pants reappeared

In 2003, the orange pants were worn again occasionally by the Cleveland Browns.

2004: Pants stripes variations

In 2004, the Cleveland Browns replaced the traditional orange-brown-orange stripes on the white pants with two variations of a brown-orange-brown sequence.

2004: Orange pants worn occasionally

In 2004, the orange pants were worn again occasionally by the Cleveland Browns.

2004: Steelers winning streaks

The Steelers have been particularly dominant in Pittsburgh, posting a 44–7 record when hosting the Browns since 1970, including to winning streaks of 16 games (1970–85) and 17 games (2004–20).

2005: Emmy Awards

In 2005, the Cleveland Browns in-house production team won a pair of Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards.

2005: Joined stripe sequence used exclusively

In 2005, the joined stripe sequence was used exclusively with both jerseys for the Cleveland Browns.

2005: Striped socks appeared

In 2005, the white striped socks appeared occasionally with the white jerseys.

2006: Most Loyal Fans

In 2006, a study by Bizjournal determined that Cleveland Browns fans were the most loyal fans in the NFL, based on attendance and support during both winning and losing seasons.

2006: Gray facemask integrated

In 2006, the Cleveland Browns integrated the gray facemask into their uniform design.

2006: Traditional stripe sequence returned

In 2006, the Cleveland Browns returned to the traditional orange-brown-orange stripe sequence on their pants.

2006: Reverted to older uniform style

In 2006, the Cleveland Browns reverted to an older uniform style, featuring gray face masks, the original stripe pattern on the brown jersey sleeves, and the older, darker shade of brown.

2007: Striped socks appeared

In 2007, the white striped socks appeared occasionally with the white jerseys.

August 18, 2008: Brown pants worn for the first time

On August 18, 2008, the Cleveland Browns wore brown pants for the first time in team history during a preseason game against the New York Giants.

August 9, 2009: Brown pants worn at "family" scrimmage

On August 9, 2009, the Cleveland Browns wore the brown pants again during their "family" scrimmage, paired with white-striped socks.

September 19, 2010: Ring of Honor Inaugural Class

On September 19, 2010, the Cleveland Browns unveiled the inaugural class of their Ring of Honor during the home opener, featuring the 16 Hall of Famers who entered the Hall of Fame as Browns.

2010: Browns returned to white shirt-on-white pants

In 2010, the Cleveland Browns returned to their white shirt-on-white pants combination after fans disliked the brown pants.

2011: Browns wore white for all 16 games

In 2011, the Cleveland Browns chose to wear white at home and wound up wearing white for all 16 games due to home teams wearing darker uniforms.

October 3, 2013: Browns wore all-brown combination for the first time

On October 3, 2013, the Cleveland Browns wore brown pants with brown jerseys for the first time in team history during a home game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football.

2013: "AL" removed after Jimmy Haslam ownership

In 2013, the initials "AL" were removed from the Cleveland Browns' jerseys after Jimmy Haslam assumed ownership of the team.

2014: "Great Lakes Classic"

From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".

2014: Phil Dawson and Colt McCoy Sign with 49ers

In 2014, Browns placekicker Phil Dawson and backup quarterback Colt McCoy signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

2014: Comeback Win

In 2014, the Cleveland Browns erased a 28–3 deficit to defeat the Tennessee Titans with a score of 29–28.

April 14, 2015: New uniform combinations unveiled

On April 14, 2015, the Cleveland Browns unveiled new uniform combinations with slight alterations to the orange color, seal brown facemask, and a custom sans-serif font type, above the jersey numerals, the word "CLEVELAND" appeared emblazoned in brown.

2015: Broncos winning streak

From 1991 to 2015, the Broncos won 11 straight meetings against the Cleveland Browns.

2016: All-brown look for NFL Color Rush

In 2016, the Cleveland Browns brought back the all-brown look, minus the white elements, for the NFL Color Rush program.

2017: First Overall Pick

In 2017, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

2018: Nathan Zegura's Suspension

In 2018, Browns commentator Nathan Zegura, who was a sideline reporter at the time, had to serve an eight-game suspension for arguing with officials during a game.

2018: Cleveland breaks Broncos streak

In 2018, Cleveland broke the Broncos' 11-game winning streak with a narrow 17–16 win.

2018: Joe Thomas Entered into Ring of Honor

In 2018, Joe Thomas was entered into the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor with the number 10,363, commemorating his NFL record of consecutive snaps played on offense.

2018: All-brown uniform worn at home

In 2018, the Browns all-brown uniform was worn at home three times, despite the Color Rush program being discontinued.

2018: First Overall Pick

In 2018, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

2019: All-brown uniform promoted to primary home uniform

For the 2019 season, the Browns promoted the all-brown uniform to their primary home uniform, wearing it for six home games and any away game where the home team wore white.

2019: Clay Matthews Jr. Entered into Ring of Honor

In 2019, four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. was entered into the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor.

December 2020: High-Scoring Game

In December 2020, during a game with playoff implications, the Cleveland Browns jumped to a 38–7 halftime lead against the Tennessee Titans, setting a franchise record for points in the first half, ultimately winning 41-35.

2020: New uniform design unveiled

In 2020, the Cleveland Browns unveiled a new uniform design that pays homage to the team's classic uniform designs from years past.

2020: Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs

The Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs in 2020, with the Steelers holding a 2-1 lead in the postseason series.

2023: Denver leads series

As of the 2023 season, Denver leads the overall series 25-7 against the Cleveland Browns.

2023: First Overall Pick Count

As of the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns have had the first overall pick in the NFL draft on five occasions.

2023: All-Time Series Lead

As of the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns lead the all-time series against the San Francisco 49ers with a record of 20–10.

2023: Lions lead the all-time series

As of the 2023 season, the Lions lead the all-time series 19–6.

2023: Joe Thomas Enshrined

In 2023, Joe Thomas became the most recent Cleveland Browns player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the first member inducted that played in the 21st century.

2023: Introduction of "White Out" uniforms

In 2023, the Cleveland Browns introduced new "White Out" uniforms featuring white helmets with an orange stripe down the middle, flanked by two brown stripes.