2017 Cleveland Browns season

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The 2017 Cleveland Browns season was one of the toughest in NFL history. The Browns finished 0-16, making them the second team since 1978 to go winless in a 16-game season. It followed a 1-15 finish in 2016, so the two-year combined record was 1-31—the worst in the modern NFL era.

Head coach Hue Jackson was in his second year, and the season also marked the end of the Browns’ experiment with general manager Sashi Brown, who was fired in Week 13. John Dorsey was hired as the new general manager the next day.

Key moments and struggles
- The team suffered a number of painful setbacks, including star left tackle Joe Thomas tearing a triceps in Week 7 and ending his 10,363-snap streak. He later retired after the season.
- Linebacker Joe Schobert earned a spot in the 2018 Pro Bowl, the lone bright spot on a very tough year for the defense.
- The Browns played in London for the first time in franchise history, losing to the Minnesota Vikings 33-16.
- The team went winless at home for the first time since 1999 and stretched losing streaks on the road and within the AFC North.
- By Week 12, the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention, and by Week 16 they tied the record for the most consecutive losses in Browns history. The season ended with a 28-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, sealing the 0-16 record.

Off the field changes and future plans
- After the season, the Browns made major front-office changes: Sashi Brown was fired, and former Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey was hired as the new GM.
- The coaching staff also saw turnover, with defensive coordinator Ray Horton fired and Gregg Williams hired to run the defense, along with several other assistant changes.
- The season set the stage for the 2018 NFL Draft, where the Browns earned the No. 1 overall pick and selected quarterback Baker Mayfield.
- A lighthearted “parade” was staged by Browns fans to poke fun at the winless year, and the organization began planning a new era around Mayfield’s arrival.

Overall
The 2017 Browns’ season was defined by record-breaking losing, a midseason firing of the GM, a major rebuilding push, and a fresh start that would lead to a new quarterback and a new direction in 2018.