3 historic NFL franchises find themselves in same boat since turn of the century

Rewind to the opening of the 2001 NFL season.

Miami Dolphins caput manager Dave Wannstedt was entering his 2nd play astatine the helm successful spot of the legendary Jimmy Johnson. Both the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets were starting fresh. The Browns hired Butch Davis to regenerate Chris Palmer arsenic caput manager and the Jets moved connected from Al Groh and the Bill Belichick debacle with Herm Edwards.

Hopes for each 3 teams were arsenic precocious arsenic they’ve been. The aboriginal looked bright.

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New York Jets caput manager Rex Ryan talks to the referees earlier the commencement of the crippled against the Denver Broncos astatine Sports Authority Field connected Nov. 17, 2011. (Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports)

Fast guardant astir 25 years, not overmuch advancement has been made by immoderate of the 3 franchises. As the 2025 play nears its end, the Dolphins, Browns and Jets volition each extremity with losing records, missing the playoffs and a expansive full of zero Super Bowl appearances.

The Browns are usually teased by NFL fans arsenic a laughing-stock franchise with the magnitude of futility the franchise has been done since the 2001 play began.

Cleveland was the 2nd squad successful NFL past to spell winless passim a season. The Browns person had 39 starting quarterbacks successful that span, including 3 antithetic ones this play successful Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The Browns person had 9 antithetic caput coaches successful that span and person made 3 playoff appearances, including 1 playoff win. The squad was past successful the postseason successful 2023.

It’s atrocious successful Cleveland, but the 1 playoff triumph successful that span is precisely 1 much than the Dolphins person had since the 2001 play began.

Cleveland Browns backmost Shedeur Sanders reacts connected the sideline during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, successful Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The Dolphins person lone been to the playoff 5 times and person had names similar Jay Fiedler, Daunte Culpepper, Chad Pennington, Jay Cutler, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa each travel done and commencement games successful Miami. Quinn Ewers marked the 26th starting backmost the franchise has trotted out. There’s been 27 since Dan Marino hung up the cleats aft the 1999 season.

Mike McDaniel represented the eighth caput manager the Dolphins person had connected the sideline, and portion the squad had shown agleam spots with Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill connecting connected the field, determination conscionable hasn’t been the aforesaid magnitude of occurrence successful Miami since the Marino era.

New York has entered the aforesaid realm. While the Browns and Dolphins person some had ups with their downs successful caller years, astir of New York’s occurrence came successful the 2000s.

SHEDEUR SANDERS' WILD 2025 BEGAN WITH DRAFT FALL, BUT IT'S ENDING WITH HOPE AFTER TUMULTUOUS TURNS

Darrelle Revis #24 of the New York Jets reacts with Jordan Jenkins #48 earlier a crippled against the New England Patriots astatine Gillette Stadium connected Dec. 24, 2016, successful Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

The Jets made six playoff appearances from 2001 to 2010 and were connected the cusp of a Super Bowl doubly with Mark Sanchez arsenic the quarterback, Darrelle Revis locking down wide receivers and Rex Ryan moving the sideline. Since 2010, the Jets person had 12 losing seasons. They haven’t made the playoffs and lone finished supra .500 once.

Not to mention, New York has gone done 7 caput coaches successful that span.

It’s eerily astonishing however 3 historical franchises person shared akin futility with the magnitude of parity successful the NFL presently. There person been 12 antithetic Super Bowl winners with 19 antithetic teams astatine slightest making an quality successful the game.

And it's not to accidental excitement hasn't travel done each franchise. The Brett Favre acquisition by the Jets was large news. The Browns drafted Johnny Manziel, who was a polarizing fig successful assemblage shot and the NFL. The Dolphins had an electrical moving backmost successful Ricky Williams and antiaircraft stars similar Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas.

But it conscionable ne'er paid off.

Miami Dolphins moving backmost Ricky Williams (34) rushes with the shot arsenic Green Bay Packers information Nick Collins (36) lines up to marque the tackle during overtime astatine Lambeau Field connected Sept. 21, 2010.  (Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports)

While 2001 was a large twelvemonth for alteration among each 3 teams, much pugnacious decisions could beryllium made erstwhile the 2025 finishes and the 2026 play officially begins.

McDaniel, Kevin Stefanski and Aaron Glenn are each connected the blistery spot with their respective teams. Only the Dolphins replaced their wide manager (Chris Grier) successful the mediate of the year. Glenn is lone successful his archetypal play arsenic caput coach, but rumors person differed connected whether helium volition beryllium retained for 2026.

All 3 teams could beryllium successful the marketplace for a backmost change.

The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa for the last fewer games of the play contempt his monolithic contract. The Browns didn’t look to beryllium acceptable with Sanders oregon Gabriel arsenic QB1 going into 2026, particularly with Deshaun Watson and his albatross of a declaration lingering. The Jets tried 3 antithetic quarterbacks arsenic good successful 2025, but a precocious draught prime could pb them toward taking a flier connected idiosyncratic similar Fernando Mendoza.

Cleveland Browns backmost Charlie Frye (9) gets sacked by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Napolean Harris (50) astatine Cleveland Browns Stadium connected Aug. 11, 2007. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)

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Things could ever alteration for these 3 franchises but arsenic the 2025 play comes to a close, galore things person stayed the aforesaid erstwhile the caller millennium kicked disconnected and thing appears to beryllium changing immoderate clip soon.

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