The 2023 season is the Cleveland Browns 71st season as a member of the National Football League, their 75th overall and their fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. They will look to improve upon their 7–10 record from the previous season and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Offseason
Staff changes
On January 9, the day after the 2022 season finale, the Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods after three seasons.
On January 18, the team hired former Tennessee Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz to replace Woods as defensive coordinator. Schwartz previously served as head coach of the Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator for the Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII during his tenure with the latter.
On February 21, the Browns fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer after four seasons. He had served as interim head coach for two games, including the Browns' playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020.
On February 25, the Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to the same position, as well as to serve as assistant head coach. Ventrone played ten seasons as a safety and special teams specialist, including four seasons with the Browns.
Roster changes
Free agents
Signings
Trades
Draft
Notes
Uniform changes
On July 17, the Browns introduced a white helmet with an orange and brown center stripe. The helmet will be worn with the team's 1946 throwback uniforms, which were previously introduced in 2021. It will be worn for three games and mark the first time since 1951 that the Browns will wear a non-orange helmet.
Staff
Current roster
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Notes
Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Networks and times from Weeks 10–17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling. The date, time and network for Week 18 will be finalized at the end of Week 17.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Browns opened the season with an AFC North matchup against the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals, marking the 100th meeting between the two franchises.
The Browns defense dominated the game, forcing ten Cincinnati punts including seven three-and-outs, and limiting the Bengals offense to six first downs. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was limited to a career-low 82 passing yards. On offense, the Browns were led by Nick Chubb's 106 rushing yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Deshaun Watson 154 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown, despite a 55.2% completion percentage and one interception. Kicker Dustin Hopkins converted all three of his field goal attempts in his Browns debut. The Bengals' lone score came on an Evan McPherson field goal.
With the win, the Browns opened the season 1–0 for the second consecutive year. This marked the first time the Browns won consecutive season openers since 1993 and 1994.
Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers
After starting the season with a win, the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh to for a second straight division rivalry game, this time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh scored on an Alex Highsmith interception returned for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage to take a 7–0 lead. Cleveland responded with a Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal to cut the Steelers lead to 7–3, but failed to get closer on the next drive as Hopkins missed a field goal attempt on the next drive. Early in the second quarter, Browns' Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury and was removed from the game; the injury ended Chubb's season. The Browns were able to get into the end zone on that drive on a Deshaun Watson 2-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Ford and added a 2-point conversion after a Pittsburgh penalty to take an 11–7 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a Chris Boswell field goal and a Kenny Pickett 71-yard pass to George Pickens to take a 16–11 lead, but the Browns added another Hopkins field goal before halftime to cut the Steelers' lead down to two points.
On their first drive of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored on a Boswell 50-yard field goal. The Browns responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Pierre Strong Jr., set up by a 69-yard run by Ford two plays earlier, to take a 22–19 lead after a Watson run for the 2-point conversion. However, in the fourth quarter T. J. Watt recovered a Watson fumble and returned it for a touchdown to take the lead. The Browns were not able to respond, resulting in a 26–22 Steelers win.