What is the story about?
Each year, the Cleveland Browns tend to have at least one former player, coach, or affiliate represented in the Super Bowl. Outlined below are players, coaches, or front office personnel who were formerly members of the Browns on either the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks. The parenthesis represent the time span they were with Cleveland.
At the end of the post, we will post a quick year-by-year look at the Browns’ roster make up following the end of the season.
Former Browns on the New England Patriots
- QB Josh Dobbs (2022, 2023) – The Patriots haven’t needed him really this season, but if something were to happen to Drake Maye, the spotlight would suddenly be on the veteran quarterback who spent one year with Cleveland as a backup, before being re-signed and then traded the following year. He never actually took a regular season snap for Cleveland.
- RB D’Ernest Johnson (2019-2022) – Another former undrafted player, Johnson seemed primed for bigger days after his production with Cleveland. However, his roles since leaving the Browns have been quite stagnated. Nonetheless, he’s technically a member of the Patriots’ practice squad here, but has been called up the last two playoff games to serve as their kick returner.
- TE Austin Hooper (2020-2021) – Hooper has been one of the Patriots’ backup tight ends this season, catching 21 passes for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns in the regular season. He has 1 catch for 14 yards this postseason.
- Executive VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf (2018-2019) – He was the Browns’ assistant general manager under John Dorsey. He’s been with the Patriots since departing Cleveland, and is basically considered their general manager after Bill Belichick left in 2024.
- Senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith (2018-2019) – He was the Browns’ VP of Player Personnel, basically with ties to Wolf, as the two have been linked for much of their careers.
- Head Coach Mike Vrabel (2024) – After his reign as Titans head coach ended in 2023, Vrabel was a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns in 2024. Now, he’s the AP Coach of the Year and trying to win a Super Bowl.
- Quarterbacks Coach Ashton Grant (2020-2024) – From 2020-2021, Grant was the Browns’ first recipient of the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship. In 2021-2022, he was promoted to offensive quality control coach, and then from 2023-2024, he was promoted to offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
- Tight Ends/Passing Game Coordinator Thomas Brown (2009-2010) – I don’t remember Brown, but apparently he was a running back who Cleveland signed to their practice squad in 2009 and then called up for the final regular season game. He was released during the 2010 offseason, but has found success in his coaching career.
- Cornerbacks Coach Justin Hamilton (2006) – I do remember Hamilton! Mainly because he was a draft pick (seventh round in 2006). He only lasted a year with the team, though.
Former Browns on the Seattle Seahawks
- Wide Receivers Coach Frisman Jackson (2002-2006) – What a road it’s been for Jackson, to think that the former undrafted member of the Browns can get a Super Bowl ring. During his playing years with Cleveland, he hung on for awhile, but always had that role where fans thought, “Man, it’d be cool to see him get a bigger role.”
- Safeties Coach Jeff Howard (2020-2022) – He was on Kevin Stefanski’s initial staff when he was here as the Browns’ defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator.
Browns’ Year-by-Year Roster Breakdown
You can see the Browns’
roster composition in this PDF file. The longest tenured players on the Browns are OG Joel Bitonio from the 2014 season, followed by DE Myles Garrett and TE David Njoku from 2017. You can see how many first-year players there were in 2025 with the team.
