The

2021 season 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

was the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

' 69th season as a member of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL), their 73rd overall and their second under

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

Kevin Stefanski Kevin Lawrence Stefanski (born May 8, 1982) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as an assistant coach for the ...

and general manager Andrew Berry. The Browns finished 8–9, failing to improve upon their 11–5 record from

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. Despite starting 3–1, they would go 5–8 in their last games, eliminating them from playoff contention in the process. For the 75th anniversary of the team's founding in 1946, the Browns introduced a commemorative logo in January to use for the season.

Offseason

Re-signings

Players added

Players lost

Draft

Pre-draft trades *The Browns traded second- and third-round selections (59th and 89th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for second- and fourth-round selections (52nd and 113th overall). *The Browns traded 2020 third- and seventh-round selections to the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

in exchange for a third-round selection (91st overall) and a 2020 third-round selection. *The Browns traded DE Genard Avery to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

in exchange for a fourth-round selection (110th overall). *The Browns traded fourth- and seventh-round selections (113th and 257th overall) to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a fifth-round selection (153rd overall) and a 2022 fourth-round selection. *The Browns traded OL

Austin Corbett Austin Corbett (born September 5, 1995) is an American professional football center for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Corbett played for Reed High School in Sparks, Nevada. Starting as a walk on, he played college ...

to the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

in exchange for a fifth-round selection (169th overall). *The Browns traded a fifth-round selection (170th overall) to the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

in exchange for S

Ronnie Harrison Ronnie Harrison Jr. (born April 18, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Early life ...

. *The Browns traded 2020 fifth- and sixth-round selections to the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

in exchange for a seventh-round selection (257th overall) and G Wyatt Teller. *The Browns traded their original seventh-round selection to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

in exchange for FB Andy Janovich.

Undrafted free agents

Staff

Final roster

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

The Browns'

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

schedule was announced on May 12. Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

With the loss, the Browns started their season at 0–1. The Browns failed to win in Week 1 for the 17th straight season.

Week 2: vs. Houston Texans

With the win, the Browns improved to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears

With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1. The Browns' defense set franchise records for fewest yards allowed (47) and fewest net passing yards allowed (1). DE

Myles Garrett Myles Lorenz Garrett (born December 29, 1995) is an American professional football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, receiving unanimous All-American ...

set a franchise record with 4.5 sacks and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

This was Browns head coach

's first return to Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings in January 2020 to become the Browns head coach. Stefanski served as an assistant coach for the Vikings from 2006 to 2019. With the win, the Browns improved to 3–1. This marked the Browns' sixth consecutive win over NFC opponents.

Week 5: at Los Angeles Chargers

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–2. The Browns became the first team in NFL history to lose a game despite scoring 40+ points and having no turnovers. Such teams were previously 442–0.

Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–3. This loss ended a 6-game winning streak over NFC opponents and marked the first time the Browns lost consecutive games under head coach

. Starting quarterback

Baker Mayfield Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners ...

left the game after aggravating a shoulder injury he suffered earlier in the season. Mayfield was ruled out for the following game, ending his streak of 51 consecutive starts at quarterback, the second longest stretch in franchise history (trailing only

Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1983. He then played in the United States Football Lea ...

's 70 consecutive starts from 1978–82).

Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos

With the win, the Browns improved to 4–3. RB

D'Ernest Johnson D'Ernest Johnson Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional football running back who last played for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Florida. Early life Johnson ...

was named the FedEx Ground Player of the week. Johnson, who was making his first career start in place of injured RBs

Nick Chubb Nicholas Jamaal Chubb (born December 27, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Cleveland ...

and

Kareem Hunt Kareem AJ Hunt (born August 6, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was selected by the Chiefs in the thi ...

, had 22 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown, including several key runs to run out the clock and preserve the win.

Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–4. On November 5, the Browns announced their intentions to release WR

Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

With the win, the Browns improved to 5–4. The 25-point margin of victory was the Browns' largest since

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

. RB

was named FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Chubb rushed for 137 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.

Week 10: at New England Patriots

With the loss, the Browns fell to 5–5. The 38-point margin of defeat was the Browns' largest since

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

With the win, the Browns improved to 6–5. This win ended a four-game losing streak to the Lions, as this was the Browns first win over the Lions since 2001.

Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens

With the loss, the Browns went into their bye week at 6–6. The Browns' sixth loss on the season means they did not improve upon their 11–5 record from

Week 14: vs. Baltimore Ravens

With the win, the Browns improved to 7–6. During the game,

set the franchise record for most sacks in a season, with 15.

Week 15: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

After 25 Browns players and three coaches, including head coach

, tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

in the week leading up to the game, the game was postponed from its original date of December 18 to December 20. During this time, three players were able to test negative and be activated, but the majority of the infected players were ruled out. With starting QB

and backup QB

Case Keenum Casey Austin Keenum (born February 17, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he became the NCAA's all-time l ...

sidelined with the virus, third-string QB

Nick Mullens Nicholas Clayton Mullens (born March 21, 1995) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagle ...

made his first start with the Browns. Special teams coach

Mike Priefer Michael Priefer (born August 21, 1966) is an American football coach currently serving as the special teams coordinator for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Previously, he served as the special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the Nati ...

served as acting head coach for the game. With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–7.

Week 16: at Green Bay Packers

This game marked the first time in franchise history that the Browns played on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

. With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–8, and had 6 one-score game losses, the most in the NFL

Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers

On January 2,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

defeated

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

to clinch the AFC North title. This marks the Browns’ 29th consecutive season without winning a division title. With the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

’ win over

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

later that day, the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention. With their 18th straight regular season loss in Pittsburgh, the Browns fell to 7–9. They finished 2–6 in away games.

Week 18: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

With the win, the Browns finished the season 8–9. They finished 6–3 in home games. The Browns swept the Bengals in back-to-back seasons for the first time since

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

and

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

Standings

Division

Conference

Team leaders

Regular season

Awards

The following Browns were awarded for their performances during the season:

AFC Defensive Player of the Week/Month

2022 Pro Bowl

On December 20, it was announced that G

Joel Bitonio Joel Michael Bitonio (born October 11, 1991) is an American professional American football, football Guard (gridiron football), guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nevada Wolf ...

, RB

, DE

, G Wyatt Teller, and CB

Denzel Ward Denzel Nehemiah Ward (born April 28, 1997) is an American professional football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Early life Ward attended Nordoni ...

were named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster, with Bitonio and Garrett named as starters. This marks the fourth Pro Bowl selection for Bitonio, the third for Chubb and Garrett, the second for Ward, and the first for Teller.

References

External links

2021 Cleveland Browns
at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com)
2021 Cleveland Browns Statistics
at jt-sw.com
2021 Cleveland Browns Schedule
at jt-sw.com

at DatabaseFootball.com * {{2021 NFL season by team

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Cleveland Browns seasons

2021 in Cleveland