The Cleveland Browns will extend their NFL record for quarterback turnover heading into Week 18.
Bailey Zappe will become the Browns’ NFL-leading 40th starting quarterback since 1999 when he starts on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Bears rank second over that span with 30 different quarterbacks, per Evan Kaplan and Schefter.
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The Browns lost Deshaun Watson to a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7. Since then, the franchise has turned to Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson before handing the ball to Zappe for the season finale.
This marks the third time the Browns have turned to other quarterbacks for the majority of a season since guaranteeing Watson $230 million on a five-year deal.
Thanks to a suspension and two season-ending injuries, the Browns have turned to eight starting quarterbacks other than Watson since that contract kicked in ahead of the 2022 season.
That includes four signal callers during the 2023 season alone. Joe Flacco, P.J. Walker, Thompson-Robinson, and Jeff Driskel all got starts last winter as the Browns became the first team in NFL history to back the playoffs behind at least four different starters.
The Browns re-joined the NFL in 1999 with Tim Couch under center. Since Couch, only three quarterbacks (Derek Anderson, Colt McCoy, and Baker Mayfield) have served as the team’s top passer in consecutive seasons.
Only Mayfield led the Browns’ passing game for at least three campaigns. He held the honor for four seasons prior to his 2022 trade to the Carolina Panthers.
Zappe, who was signed from the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad earlier this season, will become the eighth quarterback to make just one start for the Browns over this 25-year stretch.
That list includes Spergon Wynn, Bruce Gradkowski, Thad Lewis, Connor Shaw, Kevin Hogan, and Nick Mullens. Jeff Driskel, who played the 2023 regular-season finale to rest Joe Flacco, was the most recent single-game starter prior to Zappe.
The Baltimore Ravens could clinch the AFC North title with a win in Week 18. The Browns are meanwhile in the running with other three-win teams, including the New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans, for the first pick of the upcoming draft.
