Ranking the Top NFL Free-Agent and Draft QB Options for the Cleveland Browns in 2025

The Cleveland Browns are the most dysfunctional franchise in the NFL. And nowhere is that dysfunction more prevalent than at quarterback.

Since the Browns were reborn in 1999, the team has started a staggering 40 different signal-callers. Most have been, well, not great.

The best of the lot didn't truly blossom until Cleveland ran him off so it could give $230 million in fully guaranteed money to a QB who had torn his Achilles twice.

The abomination of a contract handed to Deshaun Watson also leaves the Browns in a miserable financial situation and only the New Orleans Saints are farther in the red relative to the cap.

That mismanagement makes fixing the team's quarterback situation problematic. But thanks to a woeful 2024 season, the Browns own the No. 2 pick in April's draft.

That it's a relatively weak draft class at the position is very Cleveland. But the Browns have to do something. Sign a reasonably priced veteran, take a chance on one of this year's rookies or even both.

Until Cleveland gets the position fixed, it is doomed to wander the land of terrible football.

Here's a look at eight signal-callers who could guide the Browns out of the darkness, ranked in the likelihood they might be a viable plan and whether they can turn around the team's fortunes.

This is the worst-case scenario. If Jacoby Brissett is the Week 1 starter for the Browns, then not only would they have (likely) drafted a rookie signal-caller who isn't ready to play, but they would also have whiffed on more-talented veteran options.

This is Cleveland, though, so disaster always looms on the horizon.

Brissett made five starts for the New England Patriots this season, completing less than 60 percent of his passes and barely averaging 100 passing yards per game.

As the 32-year-old told reporters, though, New England's lack of passing-game weapons didn't do him any favors.

"There's so much I could say, but I guess, 'not ideal.' Obviously, a unique situation here," Brissett said. "I'm not the one to make excuses, but at some point, somebody is going to have to watch the film and understand what I was dealing with. I think that kind of speaks for itself. I think it's very easy for people to blame the quarterback for things—that's what this profession is—but yeah, man, tough year."

The 2016 third-rounder has some familiarity with Kevin Stefanski's offense after playing for the Browns in 2022, making 11 starts. He threw for just over 2,600 yards, with 12 touchdowns, six picks and a passer rating just under 90.

Brissett wouldn't be especially expensive, and he might welcome the chance to actually play. But if he's under center for more than a few games in 2025, the season isn't going to turn out any better than 2024 did.

This ranking says more about how unlikely the Browns landing him is than Russell Wilson himself.

Although after watching the last month-plus of the 2024 season in Pittsburgh, the idea of the 36-year-old taking the reins in Cleveland for any real period of time doesn't inspire cartwheels and jersey sales.

And make no mistake, if Wilson did sign with Cleveland, it would likely be with some sort of assurance that he wouldn't be benched in favor of a rookie a month into the season. Even then, it's unlikely the Browns will win the bidding war for Wilson. They just don't have the salary-cap space, and there is going to be demand for his services.

Looking at you, Raiders.

Wilson's most likely landing spot may well be back in Pittsburgh. Steelers team president Art Rooney II told reporters that the team would like to bring back Wilson or Justin Fields, and the veteran sounded like a quarterback who was happy where he was.

"I'm looking forward to hopefully going back to the Steelers and we'll see what happens with the rest," he told The Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "I love it in Pittsburgh. I've been fortunate to play 13-plus years, and I've got a lot more ball left in me.

"I think staying healthy is always the thing. You've got to be healthy to play your best, and I feel great right now."

There are conflicting reports that the Steelers are finished with Wilson. But even if that's the case, the Browns don't have the cabbage to afford Wilson's contract. They just don't.

Finally, a rookie—although not one of the names most fans would choose to see.

This isn't to say there wouldn't be plenty happy to see Will Howard swap out scarlet and gray for orange and brown. Cleveland has a history of drafting players from Ohio State, and Howard just led the Buckeyes on a magical run to a national title.

There's a non-zero chance that, in a "meh" QB class this year, the Browns decide there isn't a signal-caller worthy of the second overall pick. Or that another team looking to trade up makes Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry a Godfather offer for the pick.

The Browns need all the draft capital and impact players on rookie deals they can get. And Howard's a quarterback who should be available on Day 2 and has over 1,200 career passing attempts in college. He completed 73 percent of his passes last year for over 4,000 yards and 35 passing touchdowns.

The 23-year-old is smart, mobile and experienced, and Keith Sanchez of the Draft Network believes he has the tools to become a quality starter in the league.

"Overall, Howard possesses all the tools—arm strength, accuracy, and athleticism—required to be a high-level NFL quarterback," he said. "With the right coaching and development, there is a clear path for him to excel at the next level and become a coveted starting quarterback in the league."

It's that development where the Browns could run into trouble with Howard. He's inconsistent in his mechanics and struggles at times reading defenses, which is a flaw that could be much more glaring in the NFL.

If Cleveland chooses this route, it will either also require a short-term stopgap such as Brissett or Gardner Minshew II or be prepared for some serious early growing pains.

At this point, I can hear Browns fans groaning. It's understandable—the fanbase desperately wants some excitement and hope under center.

Kirk Cousins doesn't exactly provide either.

He's also technically not a free agent—at least not yet. But as ESPN's Adam Schefter noted, there's little chance the Atlanta Falcons will keep the 36-year-old after benching him in-season for Michael Penix Jr.

"There now is a widespread expectation across the league that the Falcons will not be able to trade Cousins and will have to release him before March 17, when his $10 million roster bonus for the 2026 season comes due," Schefter said. "There is no need for the Falcons to absorb any more costs for a quarterback whom they have paid $90 million for 14 games. Therefore, for the second straight offseason, Cousins is expected to become a free agent, able to choose the team and situation he believes will be best for him."

Cousins completed almost 67 percent of his passes with the Falcons, and he played in Stefanski's offense when both were in Minnesota.

However, the four-time Pro Bowler threw an NFL-leading 16 interceptions last year, and he may not be especially keen on signing with another team that could draft a rookie quarterback early this year. Cousins will receive a fat chunk of money from the Falcons in 2025 whether he's on the roster or not, so he can afford to be selective about situation.

The one in Cleveland is...ungood.

There has been no shortage of smoke connecting Cousins to Cleveland of late. But unless he is willing to accept a role as journeyman stopgap, there are other teams in need of a quarterback who could offer him more job security.

That sound you hear now is Jets fans screaming.

Jaxson Dart's arrival in Cleveland would potentially belie similar draft-day shenanigans from Andrew Berry, such as punting on a quarterback at No. 2 overall or trading back.

However, the Browns won't be able trade back too far because while it's still early in the pre-draft process, the hype around Dart is growing.

The numbers are there with the 6'2", 225-pounder. He threw for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns at Ole Miss last year with just six interceptions and a passer rating of 180.7.

While talking to reporters at the Senior Bowl, Berry said there's a lot to like with Dart.

"Jaxson is a high-level processor, really good in anticipation," he said. "He's accurate. He really pounds the middle of the field. That's really his game, and he also probably has some understated mobility."

However, there's a lot of disagreement in the draft community regarding Dart. Some see a top-10 pick, while others see him as a Day 2 selection.

Bleacher Report's Dame Parson noted there are warts in his game.

"Dart struggles to throw under pressure while inside the pocket," he said. "His mechanics and accuracy go awry. He will fade away and throw off his back foot instead of standing tall to deliver the pass. Dart lacks confidence throwing against tight man-to-man coverage, leading to a higher pressure-to-sack percentage."

Cleveland's recent history of drafting QBs late in Round 1 has been awful. But if the team decides to take another swing at finding a starter in the back half of the first round, Dart is a likely target.

After six starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, Justin Fields was demoted in favor of Russell Wilson.

However, with both men set to become free agents, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said it's possible Fields is the team's future under center.

"I thought that the way that he managed his professional circumstance was really impressive," he told reporters. "I thought he brought an urgency to his day-to-day work regardless of his role. I thought he got continually better within our system of ball throughout the process. I thought the way he conducted himself makes that a legitimate thought or idea at this juncture."

The question then becomes whether Fields wants to continue his career with a team that already told him he wasn't good enough to be the starter or if he wants another fresh start.

If the 25-year-old does hit the open market, the Browns should take a good look at the Ohio State product.

Yes, Fields has largely been viewed as a disappointment over his first four NFL seasons, but he played behind a bad line with subpar weapons in Chicago, and he ran a Pittsburgh offense that was designed for Wilson.

Fields is still young and is one of the NFL's most dangerous running quarterbacks. He won't be as expensive as Wilson (or even Cousins). And coming out of Ohio State, he wasn't considered a scrambler; he was a pocket quarterback who threw for over 3,200 yards and 41 scores in 2019.

If the Browns want a signal-caller who is more than just the most temporary of stopgaps, Fields should be the guy.

And it also doesn't preclude the team from using an early pick on a rookie at the position.

Unless Shedeur Sanders pulls an Eli Manning and tries to force a trade, he is the most likely quarterback on this list to wind up in Cleveland in 2025.

Yes, there will be talk of drafting Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter (if available) at No. 2 overall, especially after Myles Garrett officially requested a trade.

But the financial reality is that the Browns essentially can't trade Garrett, at least not yet. Even if a team was willing to pay the lofty cost for his services (a first-rounder and then some), the dead cap hit for a pre-June 1 trade would be staggering.

The Tennessee Titans and Cleveland both desperately need a quarterback. Passing on one at the top of Round 1 is resigning the franchise to another season of disappointment. And with Miami's Cam Ward regarded by most as the No. 1 QB in the class, that leaves Sanders for the Browns.

Berry had good things to say about Sanders at last week's Senior Bowl, though.

"Shedeur is a really impressive young man," he told reporters. "He's poised. He's calm. He's smart, and you can tell that he's been raised by—quite honestly—a Hall of Fame dad. We're going to get to know him even more over the course of the spring, but he's really impressive."

Sanders doesn't have the running ability of Jayden Daniels. He's not an elite arm talent, but he's an accurate passer who excels at finding the open man and turning broken plays into positive ones.

If the Browns pass on both Ward and Sanders, it would be a very Cleveland thing to do—and a gaffe that would resign the team to more time in the NFL wilderness.

This isn't a likely scenario, because it's the best-case for the Browns.

And let's be real: The best-case scenario does not happen for the Cleveland Browns.

If for whatever reason the Tennessee Titans pass on a quarterback at 1.01 or fall in love with Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, Andrew Berry should sprint to the podium with the name, "Cam Ward, QB, Miami" scribbled on a card—and not just because the last quality quarterback the Browns had was a Hurricanes standout.

Yes, it really has been that long. Bernie Kosar is missed.

This isn't a great year for quarterback prospects, but in the eyes of most (including the B/R Scouting Department), Ward is the best of the lot.

"Cam Ward is among the most gifted throwers in the NFL draft class," Dame Parson wrote. "The combination of arm talent, mobility/athleticism, and accuracy is growing among NFL scouts. He is comfortable using hard counts to force the defense out of their disguises, then set the protection to pick up any indicating extra rushers from the second or third levels of the defense. He has superstar potential if he can cut down on mistakes/risky decisions."

That the comparison for Ward is Geno Smith doesn't inspire a ton of confidence, but this is Cleveland—the Browns don't get confidence. What they would be getting is a mobile, accurate quarterback with extensive experience as a starter at Washington State and Miami.

If Ward can cut down on the turnovers that plagued him at times in college, his ceiling is a fair bit higher than Smith.

And the Browns could have something that has evaded the franchise seemingly since its return in 1999: Stability at football's most important position.