History of Cleveland Browns in Timeline
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, competing in the NFL's AFC North division. Named after their original coach and co-founder, Paul Brown, they play their home games at Huntington Bank Field. The team's colors are brown, orange, and white. Uniquely, the Browns do not feature a logo on their helmets.
1944: Franchise Founded
In 1944, the Cleveland Browns franchise was founded by Paul Brown and Arthur B. McBride as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
1944: Cleveland Browns Founded
In 1944, the Cleveland Browns were founded by Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride as part of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
1946: Solid White Helmets
From 1946 to 1949, the Cleveland Browns used solid white helmets.
1949: AAFC Folds, Browns Join NFL
After the 1949 season, the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) folded, and the Cleveland Browns joined the National Football League (NFL).
1949: Solid White Helmets
From 1946 to 1949, the Cleveland Browns used solid white helmets.
1949: Browns Won Championship
In 1949, the Cleveland Browns won each of the league's four championship games before the league dissolved.
1950: The first time since 1950 the Browns will have non-orange helmets
2023 will mark the first time since 1950 the Browns will have non-orange helmets.
1950: White and Orange Helmets
From 1950 to 1951, the Cleveland Browns used solid white helmets for day games and solid orange for night games.
1950: Joined National Football League
In 1950, the Browns moved to the more established National Football League (NFL).
1950: Annual Games Against the Steelers
Since 1950, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers have played twice annually, making it the oldest rivalry in the AFC.
1951: White and Orange Helmets
From 1950 to 1951, the Cleveland Browns used solid white helmets for day games and solid orange for night games.
1952: Orange Helmets with White Stripe
From 1952 to 1956, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a single white stripe.
1953: Team Sold to Cleveland Businessmen
In 1953, McBride and his partners sold the team to a group of Cleveland businessmen for $600,000.
1954: First Overall Pick
In 1954, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
1954: NFL Championship
The Cleveland Browns won an NFL championship in 1954.
1955: Reached NFL Championship Game
Between 1950 and 1955, Cleveland reached the NFL championship game every year, winning three times.
1955: NFL Championship
The Cleveland Browns won an NFL championship in 1955.
1956: Orange Helmets with White Stripe
From 1952 to 1956, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a single white stripe.
1957: Orange Helmets with White Stripe and Brown Numerals
From 1957 to 1959, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a single white stripe and brown numerals on the sides.
1957: Players' Numbers Painted on Helmets
From 1957 to 1960, players' numbers were painted on the Cleveland Browns' helmets.
1959: Orange Helmets with White Stripe and Brown Numerals
From 1957 to 1959, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a single white stripe and brown numerals on the sides.
1960: Players' Numbers Painted on Helmets
From 1957 to 1960, players' numbers were painted on the Cleveland Browns' helmets.
1960: Orange Helmets with Brown-White-Brown Stripe and Brown Numerals
In 1960, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence and brown numerals on the sides.
1961: Orange Helmets with Brown-White-Brown Stripe
From 1961 to 1995, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence.
1961: Art Modell Purchased the Browns
In 1961, Art Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns.
1961: TV Numbers on Sleeves
In 1961, secondary numerals (TV numbers) first appeared on the jersey sleeves.
1963: Art Modell Fired Paul Brown
In 1963, Art Modell fired Paul Brown before the season.
1964: Scheduling Steelers Games on Saturday Nights
From 1964 to 1970, former Browns owner Art Modell scheduled home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday nights to fuel the "Turnpike Rivalry".
1964: 1964 NFL Championship
The 1964 NFL Championship was honored in a primetime special by the Cleveland Browns in-house production team, which later won an Emmy Award in 2005.
1965: Qualified for NFL playoffs
In 1965, The Cleveland Browns qualified to play in the NFL playoffs.
1965: "CB" Logo Created
In 1965, an unused "CB" logo was created for the Cleveland Browns.
1968: Sleeve Stripe Revisions
In 1968 (brown jerseys worn in early season), there were minor revisions to the sleeve stripes.
1969: Sleeve Stripe Revisions
In 1969 (white and brown jerseys), there were minor revisions to the sleeve stripes.
1970: Scheduling Steelers Games on Saturday Nights
From 1964 to 1970, former Browns owner Art Modell scheduled home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday nights to fuel the "Turnpike Rivalry".
1970: Joined American Football Conference
In 1970, the Browns became part of the new American Football Conference (AFC) after the AFL and NFL merged.
1970: Less frequent meetings
Since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970, the teams have met much less frequently with the Browns' move to the AFC.
1970: Friendly Relationship as many 49ers personnel helped the Browns relaunch in 1999
The rivalry turned into a friendly relationship as many 49ers personnel helped the Browns relaunch in 1999, particularly after the teams were placed in opposite conferences in 1970.
1971: Made it back to the playoffs
In 1971, Cleveland made it back to the playoffs.
1972: Made it back to the playoffs
In 1972, Cleveland made it back to the playoffs.
1975: Introduction of Orange Pants
In 1975, orange pants with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence were introduced and worn until 1983, becoming symbolic of the "Kardiac Kids" era.
1979: "Kardiac Kids" Era Begins
In 1979, quarterback Brian Sipe engineered a series of last-minute wins, and the Browns came to be called the "Kardiac Kids".
1980: "Kardiac Kids" Era Continued
In 1980, the "Kardiac Kids" era continued with quarterback Brian Sipe.
1981: Hanford Dixon Joins the Browns
In 1981, Hanford Dixon started his career with the Cleveland Browns, playing cornerback for the team.
1983: End of the First Orange Pants Era
In 1983, the orange pants, which had been worn since 1975, were retired as part of the Browns' uniform.
1984: Dawg Pound Name Adoption
In 1984, Cleveland Browns fans in the bleacher section of Cleveland Municipal Stadium adopted the name "Dawg Pound" after members of the Browns defense used it to describe the team's defense.
1984: Uniform Redesign
In 1984, the Browns' uniform underwent a complete redesign featuring new striping patterns on the jerseys and pants, as well as solid-colored socks.
1984: Five-Stripe Sequence
In the 1984 season, a five-stripe sequence remained intact.
1985: Bernie Kosar Drafted
In 1985, Bernie Kosar was drafted by the Browns.
1985: Return to Original Uniform Design
In 1985, due to unpopularity, the Browns' uniform reverted to a look similar to the original design, which remained until 1995.
1985: The white jersey has had that sleeve stripe pattern on a consistent basis since the 1985 season.
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 game, quarterback John Elway led "The Drive" to secure a tie in the waning moments at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
1987: 1987 AFC Championship
In the 1987 AFC Championship game, the Browns and Broncos met again, with Denver ultimately winning 38-33.
1989: Hanford Dixon's Last Season
In 1989, Hanford Dixon played his final season for the Cleveland Browns, marking the end of his career with the team.
1989: 1989 AFC Championship
In 1989, the Browns and Broncos met in the AFC Championship, with Denver easily winning by a score of 37-21.
1989: Controversial win against Broncos
In 1989, the Browns had a controversial 16-13 win at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, decided by a last-second field goal and a switch of ends of the field due to rowdy fans.
1991: Broncos Winning Streak Begins
From 1991 to 2015, the Broncos won 11 straight meetings against the Browns.
1991: Bill Belichick Hired as Head Coach
Prior to the 1991 season, the Browns hired Bill Belichick as the head coach.
1994: Playoff Win
In 1994, The Cleveland Browns won their first Playoff win since then.
1994: Playoff Game Against Steelers
In 1994, the Cleveland Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs.
1995: Orange Helmets with Brown-White-Brown Stripe
From 1961 to 1995, the Cleveland Browns used orange helmets with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence.
1995: Modell Announces Relocation
In 1995, Art Modell announced he was relocating the Browns to Baltimore.
1995: Qualified for NFL playoffs
In 1995, The Cleveland Browns qualified to play in the NFL playoffs.
1995: End of the Second Era of the Classic Uniform
In 1995, the Browns' uniform, which had remained similar to the original design since 1985, was changed.
1995: Draft Picks Leading to Ravens' Super Bowl Win
The draft picks from 1995 to 1998 were for the Ravens to win the Super Bowl in 2000.
1996: Browns Inactive
From 1996 to 1998, the Cleveland Browns were inactive as a team.
1996: Compromise Reached, Ravens Established
In early 1996, a compromise was reached, allowing Art Modell to establish the Baltimore Ravens while preserving the Browns' intellectual property and history for a future reactivated franchise.
1998: NFL Confirms Expansion Draft
In 1998, it was confirmed that the NFL would hold an expansion draft when the Browns resumed play in 1999.
1998: Draft Picks Leading to Ravens' Super Bowl Win
The draft picks from 1995 to 1998 were for the Ravens to win the Super Bowl in 2000.
1999: Orange Helmets with Brown-White-Brown Stripe
From 1999 to the present, the Cleveland Browns have used orange helmets with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence.
1999: Return of Browns Franchise
In 1999, The Browns colors, logos and heritage returned after negotiations and legal battles.
1999: 49ers Personnel Helped Browns Relaunch
In 1999, many San Francisco 49ers personnel helped the Browns relaunch.
1999: Browns Guaranteed to Return
In 1999, the Browns were guaranteed to return to play either by relocation of an existing franchise or an expansion draft.
1999: First Overall Pick
In 1999, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
1999: Browns Resumed Operations
In 1999, the Cleveland Browns resumed operations after being suspended.
1999: Browns Reactivated
In 1999, the Cleveland Browns were reactivated and started play again under new owner Al Lerner.
1999: Expansion Browns Adopt Traditional Design
In 1999, the expansion Browns adopted the traditional uniform design with two exceptions: the TV numbers were moved to the shoulders and the orange-brown-orange pants stripes were widened.
1999: Bengals Edge
Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, the Cincinnati Bengals have a 28-21 edge.
1999: Steelers Dominance After Browns' Return
Since the Browns returned to the league in 1999, the Steelers have a 36–9–1 record against them.
1999: Elf Mascot Revival
Since the team's return in 1999, the use of the "Brownie Elf" mascot has been revived.
1999: Rivalry Continues
The rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Steelers continues since 1999.
2000: Chris Palmer Coaching
In 2000, The Browns went 3-13 under head coach Chris Palmer.
2000: Ravens Win Super Bowl
In 2000, the Baltimore Ravens, formerly the Cleveland Browns, won the Super Bowl.
2000: First Overall Pick
In 2000, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
2001: Butch Davis Named Head Coach
Prior to the 2001 season, Butch Davis was named head coach of the Browns and led the team to a 7-9 record.
2002: The "Great Lakes Classic" Game
From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".
2002: Playoff Berth
In 2002, Butch Davis led the team to a playoff berth with a 9-7 record, losing to the Steelers in the Wild Card Round.
2002: Divisional Realignment
In 2002, divisional realignment placed the Cleveland Browns in the AFC North and the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans in the AFC South, leading to less frequent matchups.
2002: Introduction of Alternate Orange Jersey and Solid Brown Socks
In 2002, the Browns introduced an alternate orange jersey and solid brown socks, marking the first time since 1984 that solid socks were used with white, brown, and orange jerseys.
2002: Playoff Game Against Steelers
In 2002, the Cleveland Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs.
2002: Winning Season and Playoff Appearance
In 2002, the Cleveland Browns had a winning season and made a playoff appearance.
2002: "AL" Initials Added
In 2002, the initials "AL" were added to honor team owner Al Lerner, who died that year.
2003: Experimentation with Pants Stripes
In 2003, the traditional orange-brown-orange stripes on the white pants were replaced by two variations of a brown-orange-brown sequence.
2003: Occasional Appearance of White Striped Socks
In 2003, the white striped socks occasionally appeared with the white jerseys.
2003: Team Regressed
In the 2003 season, the team regressed to a 5-11 record.
2004: Davis Resigned
Following a 3-8 start to the 2004 season, Davis resigned.
2004: Steelers' Winning Streak at Home
From 2004 to 2020, the Steelers had a 17-game winning streak when hosting the Browns.
2004: Continuation of Pants Stripe Experimentation
In 2004, the Browns continued experimenting with pants stripes, using two variations of a brown-orange-brown sequence.
2005: Emmy Awards
In 2005, the Cleveland Browns in-house production team won two Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards for "The 1964 Championship Show" and "The Paperboy".
2005: Joined Stripe Sequence Used Exclusively
In 2005, the joined brown-orange-brown stripe sequence was used exclusively with both jerseys.
2005: Romeo Crennel Hired
Prior to the 2005 season, the team hired Romeo Crennel to be their next head coach.
2006: Crennel Coached
In 2006, Romeo Crennel coached the Browns to a 4-12 season.
2006: Most Loyal Fans
In 2006, a Bizjournal study determined that Cleveland Browns fans were the most loyal in the NFL, based on attendance, and weathering poor performance.
2006: Return to Traditional Pants Stripe Sequence
In 2006, the Browns reverted to the traditional orange-brown-orange pants stripe sequence.
2006: Creation of Brown Pants
In 2006, the Cleveland Browns had the brown pants created as an option for their away uniform when they integrated the gray facemask.
2006: Reversion 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.
2006: 60th-Anniversary Logo
The Browns used a 60th-anniversary logo for the 2006 season.
2007: Occasional Appearance of White Striped Socks
In 2007, the white striped socks occasionally appeared with the white jerseys.
2007: Winning Record, No Playoff Berth
In the 2007 season, Romeo Crennel posted a winning 10-6 record that did not qualify for the playoffs.
August 18, 2008: Brown Pants Debut
On August 18, 2008, the Browns wore brown pants for the first time in team history during a preseason game against the New York Giants.
2008: Detroit Lions 0-16 Season
In 2008, the Detroit Lions had a 0-16 season, becoming only the first team in NFL history to do so.
2008: Crennel Fired
Romeo Crennel went 4-12 in the 2008 season and was fired following the season.
August 9, 2009: Brown Pants Worn in Scrimmage
On August 9, 2009, the Browns wore the brown pants during their "family" scrimmage with white-striped socks.
2009: Eric Mangini Head Coach
In 2009, Eric Mangini posted consecutive 5-11 seasons as head coach.
September 19, 2010: Ring of Honor Inaugural Class
On September 19, 2010, the Cleveland Browns unveiled the inaugural class for the Ring of Honor during their home opener, featuring the 16 Hall of Famers who entered the Hall of Fame as Browns.
2010: Eric Mangini Head Coach
In 2010, Eric Mangini posted consecutive 5-11 seasons as head coach before getting fired.
2010: Brown Pants Discontinued
In 2010, the Browns discontinued the use of brown pants after one season due to negative fan reception.
2011: Pat Shurmur Head Coach
In 2011, Pat Shurmur coached the team to a 4-12 record.
2011: Browns Wear White for All Games
In 2011, the Browns chose to wear white at home for the season, and wound up wearing white for all 16 games.
2012: Pat Shurmur Fired
In 2012, Pat Shurmur coached the team to a 5-11 record before getting fired.
2012: Lerner Family Sold Team to Jimmy Haslam
In 2012, the Lerner family sold the team to businessman Jimmy Haslam.
October 3, 2013: All-Brown Uniform Combination Debut
On October 3, 2013, the 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" Initials Removed
In 2013, upon Jimmy Haslam assuming ownership of the team, the initials "AL" were removed from the jerseys.
2013: Rob Chudzinski Coached
Rob Chudzinski coached the Browns in the 2013 season and was fired after a 4-12 campaign.
2014: The "Great Lakes Classic" Game
From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".
2014: Dawson and McCoy signed with 49ers
In 2014, Long-time Browns placekicker and fan favorite Phil Dawson and backup quarterback Colt McCoy signed with the 49ers.
2014: Mike Pettine Coached
In 2014, Mike Pettine coached the team, going 7-9.
2014: Comeback Win vs Titans
In 2014, the Cleveland Browns erased a 28-3 deficit to secure a 29-28 victory against the Tennessee Titans.
February 24, 2015: Logos and Wordmarks Introduced
On February 24, 2015, the current logos and wordmarks were introduced, with minor color changes to the helmet.
April 14, 2015: New Uniform Combinations Unveiled
On April 14, 2015, the Cleveland Browns unveiled their new uniform combinations with slight alterations to the team's colors and design elements.
2015: End of Broncos Winning Streak
From 1991 to 2015, the Broncos won 11 straight meetings against the Browns before Cleveland broke that streak.
2015: Mike Pettine Coached
In 2015, Mike Pettine coached the team, going 3-13 before getting fired.
2015: First Massive Uniform Change
The Browns uniforms saw their first massive change prior to the 2015 season.
2016: All-Brown Look for Color Rush Program
In 2016, the Browns brought back the all-brown look for the NFL Color Rush program, minus the white elements.
2016: Hue Jackson Coached
In 2016, under head coach Hue Jackson, the Browns went 1-31 (.031).
2017: 0-16 Season
In 2017, the Cleveland Browns had a 0-16 season, becoming only the second team in NFL history to do so.
2017: First Overall Pick
In 2017, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
2017: Worst Two-Year Stretch
In 2017, under head coach Hue Jackson, the Browns had a winless 0-16 season.
2018: Nathan Zegura Suspension
In 2018, Browns commentator Nathan Zegura served an eight-game suspension for arguing with officials during a game when he was a sideline reporter.
2018: Joe Thomas Entered into Ring of Honor
In 2018, Joe Thomas was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor with the number 10,363, commemorating his NFL record of consecutive snaps played on offense.
2018: Use of Color Rush Uniform at Home
In 2018, despite the Color Rush program being discontinued, the Browns wore the uniform at home three times.
2018: Browns Win Against Broncos
In 2018, the Browns broke the Broncos' winning streak with a narrow 17-16 win.
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.
2019: Freddie Kitchens Hired
Prior to the 2019 season, Freddie Kitchens was hired as head coach, leading the team to a 6-10 record.
December 2020: Browns vs. Titans Game
In a December 2020 game with playoff implications, the Cleveland Browns set a franchise record for points in the first half with 38, ultimately winning 41-35 against the Tennessee Titans.
2020: Playoff Game Against Steelers
In 2020, the Cleveland Browns and Steelers met in the playoffs.
2020: New Uniform Design Unveiled
In 2020, the Cleveland Browns unveiled a new uniform design that pays homage to the team's classic uniform design from years past.
2020: Kevin Stefanski Hired and Playoff Berth Secured
Prior to the 2020 season, Kevin Stefanski was hired as head coach and the Browns secured their first playoff berth since 2002 by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2021: Missed Postseason
In the 2021 season, the Browns went 8-9 and missed the postseason.
2021: 75th-Anniversary Logo
The Browns used a 75th-anniversary logo in 2021.
2022: Missed Postseason
In the 2022 season, the Browns went 7-10 and missed the postseason.
2022: Brownie Elf at Midfield
Since the 2022 season, a version of the Brownie elf logo has been featured at midfield at Huntington Bank Field.
2023: Denver Broncos lead Series
As of the 2023 season, Denver leads the overall series, 25–7.
2023: Ravens Lead the Series
As of the 2023 season, the Baltimore Ravens lead the overall series 36-14.
2023: Browns Draft History
As of the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns have had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on five occasions.
2023: Introduction of "White Out" Uniforms
In 2023, the Browns introduced new "White Out" uniforms, an all-white uniform featuring a white helmet for select home games.
2023: Winning Season and Playoff Appearance
In 2023, the Cleveland Browns had a winning season and made a playoff appearance.
2023: Return to Postseason
In the 2023 season, the Browns returned to the postseason with a 11-6 mark.
