The Cleveland Browns have had a difficult time in recent years, leaving fans like native Jake Paul disappointed and running out of patience with the organization. Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, was born in 1997, just a year after the original franchise moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens. The Browns were reborn in 1999 but have only made the playoffs twice since then, winning just one postseason game. This has been tough for Paul and many other devoted Browns fans.
Paul expressed his frustrations in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, stating, “I’ve been a Browns fan my whole life, but it’s just tough. It’s been 26 years of terror.” The upcoming 2023 season will mark the Browns’ 25th since they returned to Cleveland, and unfortunately, they have finished in last place in their division for 16 of those seasons, including the previous year. To add to the team’s struggles, they have had a significant quarterback turnover with a total of 34 players starting at the position since 1999. Baker Mayfield and Tim Couch each quarterbacked 59 games, but stability seems to have been lacking.
However, the Browns do have some hope for the upcoming season. They acquired three-time Pro Bowler and 2020 passing yards leader Deshaun Watson, who will be available for a full season after missing the 2021 season due to sexual assault allegations and facing an 11-game suspension. This addition provides some optimism for fans like Paul. He stated, “Unless the Browns can start to do something here, I’m sort of transitioning over to maybe be a Cincinnati Bengals fan.” The Bengals have had recent success with back-to-back AFC championship games and an appearance in the 2021 Super Bowl.
In fact, Paul’s gambling site, Betr Picks, reflects his growing interest in the Bengals. He placed a bet on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throwing for more than 266.5 passing yards in their Week 1 matchup against the Browns and also bet on Browns running back Nick Chubb rushing for over 88.5 yards. It seems that Paul is gradually shifting his allegiance if the Browns don’t show signs of improvement soon.
Ultimately, the Browns will need to turn their fortunes around if they want to keep their most famous fan. Otherwise, they may lose Jake Paul to a division rival like the Cincinnati Bengals, who have shown promise in recent seasons.