The Cleveland Browns have suffered through a tumultuous 2022, mostly of their own making. They ushered out the Baker Mayfield era by reportedly leaking the team wanted “an adult at quarterback,” then traded away three drafts worth of top picks to acquire Deshaun Watson. Watson, at the time was facing more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct.
The NFL ultimately suspended him for 11 games alongside a $5 million fine after what commissioner Roger Goodell called “predatory behavior.” That pushed starting quarterback duties onto Jacoby Brissett, who got a win over Mayfield in Week 1 but averaged just 4.3 yards per pass. Cleveland needed a 58-yard field goal with eight seconds left just to beat a team that has won 10 games the last two seasons combined.
Fortunately, there is good news for the Browns. Their field now prominently features an elf!
the people have spoken 🏟 pic.twitter.com/TYOBd59So8
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 13, 2022
That’s Brownie the Elf, one of the team’s three mascots who has been around since the 1940s but used mostly as a tertiary option behind the franchise’s very good dogs instead. Brownie got buried deep in a closet thanks to former team owner Art Modell’s reported hatred of him, but has made a few appearances following the team’s 1999 reboot after Modell moved his club to Baltimore.
This is the most prominently he’ll be featured since the 1950s. He kinda looks like Joel McHale.
