There are a lot of things to say when talking about the Cleveland Browns.
Very old fans can reminisce about how the franchise was once one of the league’s dynasties, led by the father of the modern NFL in head coach Paul Brown. But with their last NFL championship coming in 1964, those memories grow dimmer every year.
Those of us who are old, but not that old, can share tales of the teams of the 1980s, perennial playoff participants that reached the cusp of the Super Bowl three times under the franchise’s
last great head coach in Marty Schottenheimer and everyone’s favorite quarterback in Bernie Kosar.
For today’s fans, those teams may as well have played in the leather helmet era; it was so long ago. And while they have been able to cheer for some of the franchise’s most legendary players like Joe Thomas, Nick Chubb, Myles Garrett, and Joel Bitonio, that has not always been a comfort once the game ended on another lost Sunday afternoon.
That is because, of all the things one could say about the Browns, the one thing they have not been able to say much since 1999 is that the team plays winning football.
Such is life when you are a team that has made just three playoff appearances in 27 seasons, has just four winning seasons, and has had 10 or more losses in 19 seasons.
That is a sobering sentence to write, and not one that will fill the hearts of fans – or seats at the new stadium in a few years – with the regular season just 11 days away.
But fear not, Browns Nation, because the team appears to be finally building a solid foundation with a productive draft class in 2025 and what looks to be an even better one in 2026. (Just set aside the quarterback situation until next year. Because the Browns certainly have.)
Unlike in years past, when draft picks were squandered on the likes of Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert, Brian Robiskie, Chaun Thompson, Nate Orchard, and countless other players, the situation is looking promising because the Browns have a plan in place.
And what is that plan, you ask? It is all about trying to win football games!
That is according to assistant general manager and vice president of football operations Catherine Hickman, who had her turn with the media on Wednesday. While she was asked specifically about head coach Todd Monken’s decision to name Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback, her answer addressed the organization’s current approach:
“Everything we do is to win football games. That’s how we make our decisions, that’s how we think about it as an organization, and that’s no different at that position.”
You know what? That is a plan that is just crazy enough to work!
Before we go any further, that is not a shot at Hickman in any way because she likely gets more than her share of garbage simply for being a female in a male-dominated business.
But it is a bit of an odd answer, because isn’t that the entire purpose of an NFL team? To win? (Unless you are the owner, then the purpose is to continue to print money, and if wins come along, that is a happy bonus.)
Because if you have to tell people that you are actively trying to win football games, it is probably because it is not readily apparent that is the plan.
At least now we know there is organizational alignment toward a common path.
And anytime the Browns want to get busy actually winning some games, there is a long-suffering fan base ready and waiting.
