The 1999 Cleveland Browns season was the Browns 51st season overall and 47th in the NFL. It marked the return of professional football to the city of Cleveland, Ohio for the first time since the 1995 season, when the franchise was temporarily deactivated following the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, which ultimately established the Baltimore Ravens. While technically an expansion team, the team officially and legally are considered a continuation of the previous franchise, as the history and colors of the team remained in Cleveland. The franchise was still alive as a legal entity between 1996 and 1998, and its assets kept in a trust managed by the NFL until Al Lerner became the owner in 1998, taking over the role from the previous owner, Art Modell, who first initiated the relocation in the first place, to the outrage of the citizens in the city of Cleveland.
That season the Browns were given full expansion team treatment via an expansion draft and receiving the number one overall draft pick of the 1999 NFL draft, which they used to select Kentucky Wildcats quarterback and the 1998 Quarterback of the Year Tim Couch after he set the Southeastern Conference record for single-season passing yards, and he became the franchise's first draft pick following their reactivation as an expansion team. Couch would throw for over 11,000 passing yards and help the Browns qualify for the postseason in 2002, but his career would be cut short by injuries. Following attempted comebacks with the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, he would retire after failing to make the final roster for either team. Although Couch would be unable to duplicate his college success, he would be the first quarterback to lead the Browns to the playoffs since their NFL return and the only to do so between 2002 and 2019. He would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Ever since then, Couch is considered by Fox Sports and other analysts to be one of the NFL's biggest draft busts in its history after being taken at number 1 overall, immediately ahead of fellow quarterback Donovan McNabb, only to falter throughout most of his career. However, Couch's career has been defended by former Browns offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
The Browns' offense and defense both finished in the bottom of the league. The Browns scored 217 points and gained 3,762 yards of total offense, both last in the NFL. The Browns allowed 437 points and gave up 6,046 yards, ranking 29th and 31st, respectively.
Season information During the course of the 1995 season, then-Browns owner Art Modell announced his decision to move the Browns to Baltimore. Modell's new team would begin playing in the 1996 season. It would be the first time since 1935 that Cleveland would be left without an existing football team and the first time since 1943 without a team playing, when the Cleveland Rams suspended operation for one year, so the other teams could have enough players during World War II.
However, many Browns fans and Cleveland city officials were determined to keep the team in Cleveland, and orchestrated a grassroots movement to keep the team in Cleveland. The NFL responded by working with city officials, and the two parties came to a unique agreement which would provide the city with a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium and would promise the return of professional football to Cleveland by the beginning of the 1999 season. Modell also agreed to relinquish the Browns' name, colors and team history to the new owner of the Browns. Modell's new team would begin playing in the 1996 season as the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Browns' new stadium was being built on the site of the old Cleveland Stadium, the foundation of the front office was being set in place. Al Lerner won a bidding war for the new team for $750 million. Lerner hired former San Francisco 49ers front office staffers Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark as the Browns' president and vice president.
Football finally returned to Cleveland on September 12 when the Browns opened the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home; Cleveland native Drew Carey was present and gave a rousing pre-game speech. However, the fans were sorely disappointed as the Browns were defeated by the Steelers 43–0. The team would go on to lose their first seven games, but finally in week 8 of their inaugural season the "New Browns" got their first ever win over the New Orleans Saints. From the Browns' 42-yard line Tim Couch squared up and threw a Hail Mary pass that was tipped in the endzone by Saints defenders but then caught by the Browns' Kevin Johnson. The dramatic game-winning touchdown play happened in the last two seconds of the game, causing the final score to be 21–16. Two weeks later, the Browns defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 16–15, for their second and final win of the year.
The Browns finished the season 2–14 and sixth in the AFC Central. It was, at the time, the worst record that the Browns had ever compiled at the end of a season. Since then, the Browns finished with worse records in 2016 and 2017. The Browns did not win a home game throughout the season.
Draft Expansion draft
Below are players selected from other teams in the Cleveland expansion draft, in order of selection.1999 Cleveland Expansion Draft Pick Player Position Original NFL team 1 Jim Pyne^ C Detroit Lions 2 Hurvin McCormack^ DE Dallas Cowboys 3 Scott Rehberg^ OT New England Patriots 4 Damon Gibson^ WR Cincinnati Bengals 5 Steve Gordon C San Francisco 49ers 6 Tarek Saleh^ LB Carolina Panthers 7 Jeff Buckey G Miami Dolphins 8 Jason Kyle LS Seattle Seahawks 9 Rod Manuel DE Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Lenoy Jones^ LB Tennessee Titans 11 Tim McTyer^ CB Philadelphia Eagles 12 Elijah Alexander LB Indianapolis Colts 13 Pete Swanson OT Kansas City Chiefs 14 Gerome Williams S San Diego Chargers 15 Marlon Forbes^ SChicago Bears 16 Justin Armour WR Denver Broncos 17 Paul Wiggins OT Washington Redskins 18 Duane Butler S Minnesota Vikings 19 Fred Brock WR Arizona Cardinals 20 Kory Blackwell^ CB New York Giants 21 Kevin Devine CB Jacksonville Jaguars 22 Raymond Jackson^ CB Buffalo Bills 23 Jim Bundren^ G New York Jets 24 Ben Cavil G Baltimore Ravens 25 Michael Blair RB Green Bay Packers 26 Antonio Anderson DT Dallas Cowboys 27 Orlando Bobo G Minnesota Vikings 28 James Williams^ LB San Francisco 49ers 29 Scott Milanovich QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 Eric Stokes^ S Seattle Seahawks 31 Ronald Moore RB Miami Dolphins 32 Clarence Williams RB Buffalo Bills 33 Freddie Solomon WR Philadelphia Eagles 34 Brandon Sanders S New York Giants 35 Mike Thompson^ NT Cincinnati Bengals 36 Jerris McPhail RB Detroit Lions 37 Antonio Langham^ CB San Francisco 49ers ^ Made roster.
1999 NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1999 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeTim BeauchampDefensive endFloridaMark CampbellTight endMichiganMike CookQuarterbackWilliam & MaryChris HansonPunterMarshallJoseph NastasiWide receiverPenn State
Personnel
Staff
Final roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap HOF Dallas Cowboys W 20–17 1–0 Fawcett Stadium Recap 1 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–30 1–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap 2 Minnesota Vikings L 17–27 1–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 3 Chicago Bears W 35–24 2–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 4 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–30 2–3 Veterans Stadium Recap
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 12 Pittsburgh Steelers L 0–43 0–1 Cleveland Browns StadiumRecap 2 September 19 at Tennessee Titans L 9–26 0–2 Adelphia ColiseumRecap 3 September 26 at Baltimore Ravens L 10–17 0–3 PSINet Stadium Recap 4 October 3 New England Patriots L 7–19 0–4 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 5 October 10 Cincinnati Bengals L 17–18 0–5 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 6 October 17 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 7–24 0–6 Alltel Stadium Recap 7 October 24 at St. Louis Rams L 3–34 0–7 Trans World DomeRecap 8 October 31 at New Orleans Saints W 21–16 1–7 Louisiana Superdome Recap 9 November 7 Baltimore Ravens L 9–41 1–8 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 10 November 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 16–15 2–8 Three Rivers Stadium Recap 11 November 21 Carolina Panthers L 17–31 2–9 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 12 November 28 Tennessee Titans L 21–33 2–10 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 13 December 5 at San Diego Chargers L 10–23 2–11 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 14 December 12 at Cincinnati Bengals L 28–44 2–12Cinergy Field Recap 15 December 19 Jacksonville Jaguars L 14–24 2–13 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 16 December 26 Indianapolis Colts L 28–29 2–14 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 17 Bye
Season summary Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
After being deactivated for three seasons, the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL, playing their first game since December 24, 1995 and first home game since December 17, 1995. The game was featured on ESPN Sunday Night Football and a pre-game speech was given by comedian Drew Carey, a Cleveland native. In his speech, Carey said "I want to send a message. A message to everyone who ever made fun of Cleveland. A message to anyone who ever told a Cleveland joke, or laughed at a Cleveland joke. You can now officially shut up!" The celebration would be short-lived as the Steelers would shutout the Browns 43–0. The Browns would finish the game with only 40 yards of total offense and committed four turnovers and had a time of possession of just 12:11.
Week 2: at Tennessee Titans
Kicker Phil Dawson made a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter, scoring the Browns' first points of the season. Cleveland would score its first touchdown of the season in the third quarter, with a 39-yard pass from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson. Despite this, the Titans thrashed the Browns 26–9.
Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens
This was the first meeting between the reactivated Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, the latter of which previously played in Cleveland as the Browns from 1946 to 1995 before a controversial relocation. As a compromise by the NFL, the Browns were officially deactivated in 1996 while the team in Baltimore was considered an expansion team. The game would be a defensive battle with poor offensive performance, as both teams committed three turnovers. The Browns, down by seven with 2:34 to go, had the ball and were looking to tie the game, but Tim Couch threw an interception to Chris McAlister. The Ravens would run out the clock to win the game.
Week 4: vs. New England Patriots
Week 5: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7: at St. Louis Rams
Week 8: at New Orleans Saints