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Let's go back to the start of the 2001 NFL season.
Miami Dolphins Head coach Dave Wannstedt was entering his second season at the helm replacing the legendary Jimmie Johnson. Both the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets started with a clean slate. The Browns hired Butch Davis to replace Chris Palmer as head coach, and the Jets traded Al Gro and the Bill Belichick debacle for Herm Edwards.
Hopes for all three teams were as high as ever. The future looked bright.
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New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan speaks with the officials before the start of the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field on November 17, 2011. (Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports)
Fast forward almost 25 years, and none of the three franchises have made much progress. As the 2025 season draws to a close, the Dolphins, Browns and Jets will end with losses, missed playoffs and zero Super Bowl appearances.
NFL fans routinely mock the Browns as a laughingstock franchise because of how much futility the franchise has endured since the start of the 2001 season.
Cleveland became the second team in NFL history to lose in a season. During that time, the Browns had 39 starting quarterbacks, including three different ones this season – Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Sheader Sanders. During that time, the Browns had nine different head coaches and made three playoff appearances, including one playoff victory. The team was last in the 2023 postseason.
Things are bad in Cleveland, but one playoff win during that span is exactly one more than the Dolphins have won since the start of the 2001 season.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Sheader Sanders reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogroki)
The Dolphins made the playoffs just five times and had names like Jay Fiedler, Daunte Culpepper, Chad Pennington, Jay Cutler, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa everyone gets through and starts the games in Miami. Quinn Evers became the franchise's 26th starting quarterback. There have been 27 since Dan Marino hung up his cleats after the 1999 season.
Mike McDaniel became the Dolphins' eighth head coach on the sideline, and while the team showed bright spots with Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill on the field, Miami hasn't had that kind of success since the Marino era.
New York has entered into the same sphere. While the Browns and Dolphins have had their ups and downs in recent years, most of New York's success came in the 2000s.
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Darrelle Revis #24 of the New York Jets talks with Jordan Jenkins #48 before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Billy Weiss/Getty Images)
The Jets made the playoffs six times from 2001 to 2010 and were on the verge of the Super Bowl twice, with Mark Sanchez at quarterback, Darrelle Revis blocking receivers and Rex Ryan on the sideline. Since 2010, the Jets have had 12 losing seasons. They didn't make the playoffs and finished above .500 only once.
Not to mention, New York has gone through seven head coaches in that time.
It's amazing how three historic franchises share similar futility given the current parity in the NFL. There have been 12 different Super Bowl winners, and at least 19 different teams have appeared in the game.
And that doesn't mean excitement hasn't hit every franchise. The acquisition of Brett Favre by the Jets was major news. The Browns drafted Johnny Manziel, who was a controversial figure in college football and the NFL. The Dolphins had a dynamic running back in Ricky Williams and defensive stars in Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas.
But it never paid off.
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams (34) races with the ball as Green Bay Packers cornerback Nick Collins (36) lines up to make a tackle during overtime at Lambeau Field on Sept. 21, 2010. (Jeff Hanish/USA TODAY Sports)
While 2001 was a big year for change for all three teams, more difficult decisions could be made once 2025 concludes and the 2026 season officially begins.
McDaniel, Kevin Stefanski and Aaron Glenn are on edge with their teams. Only the Dolphins changed their general manager (Chris Grier) mid-year. Glenn is in his first season as head coach, but speculation is mixed on whether he will be retained for 2026.
All three teams could be in the running to replace the quarterback.
The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa for the final few games of the season despite his huge contract. The Browns don't appear to be drafting Sanders or Gabriel as their QB1 in 2026, especially considering Deshaun Watson and his contract albatross is delayed. The Jets also tried three different quarterbacks in 2025, but their draft picks could lead them to move on to someone like Fernando Mendoza.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Charlie Frye (9) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Napolean Harris (50) at Cleveland Browns Stadium on August 11, 2007. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Things can always change for these three franchises, but as the 2025 season comes to a close, many things have remained the same since the start of the new millennium, and it doesn't look like anything will change anytime soon.
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