Joe Thomas Quarterback Years

Lore & Background

The Browns improved on their 3–14 record from the previous season but clinched their second consecutive losing season and 16th in 18 years, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight year. Myles Garrett set a franchise record for most sacks in a season with 16. On January 5, 2026, one day after the end of the season, Stefanski was fired after six seasons with the team.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled across FirstEnergy Stadium, carrying the chill of a late November afternoon in Cleveland. Joe Thomas stood on the sideline, his helmet tucked under one arm, watching the rain mix with the mud on the field. He had taken another hit just moments before, a blindside tackle that left him dazed but standing. The crowd roared, not for a touchdown, but simply because he was still there, breathing hard, ready to run the next play. In this era, every snap was a battle, and Thomas was the general who refused to surrender the field.

Reader's Guide

The Browns drew an average home attendance of 67,431, the 19th-highest of all NFL teams. Key games included a Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers (13–10) on a last-second field goal, and a Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins (31–6) that ended an 11-game streak of scoring 17 or fewer points. The team started 0–2, fell to 1–5 after Week 6, and finished 2–7 after Week 11.

Did You Know?

• Myles Garrett set a franchise single-season sack record with 16 in 2023, falling short of the NFL record of 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T. J. Watt.
• The Browns ended a losing streak with a Week 3 win, but no documented win over the Packers occurred in real history.
• Grant Delpit is a safety, and no AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award for a forced fumble on a kickoff in Week 7 is recorded in real NFL history.
• The Browns set a franchise record with 11 consecutive games scoring 17 or fewer points, surpassing the 1975 record.