Brian Sipe
Brian Sipe was a 13th-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 1972 from San Diego State. He would work his way up from the practice squad to backup to the one of the Brown’s top franchise passers. After missing his rookie season due to a shoulder injury and seeing limited action early on, he took over the job in 1976 and became the face of the Browns’ passing game for the next several years. Sipe developed a reputation for accuracy, poise, and an ability to run Cleveland’s offense with efficiency in an era that was still dominated by the run.
His peak came in 1980, when he led the NFL with 4,132 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, earning league MVP honors and guiding the Browns to an 11–5 record. That season became known as the “Kardiac Kids” run because of the team’s late-game heroics, many of them driven by Sipe’s composure under pressure. After leaving the NFL following the 1983 season, he spent two years in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals before retiring. Sipe closed his Browns career with more than 23,000 passing yards and remains one of the franchise’s most productive and memorable quarterbacks.
Image Gallery of Brian Sipe, Quarterback 1974-1983
Brian Sipe Football Trading Cards
Brian Sipe All Time Career Statistics
| Season | Age | Team | # | Games | Starts | QBrec | Att | Comp | Comp% | Yards | Long | Y/A | TD | Int | Rate | Sacked | Yards Lost | 4QC | GWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 25 | CLE | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2-3-0 | 108 | 59 | 54.6 | 603 | 37 | 5.6 | 1 | 7 | 47.0 | 15 | 122 | 1 | 2 |
| 1975 | 26 | CLE | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0-2-0 | 88 | 45 | 51.1 | 427 | 22 | 4.9 | 1 | 3 | 54.5 | 8 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | 27 | CLE | 17 | 14 | 12 | 7-5-0 | 312 | 178 | 57.1 | 2113 | 52 | 6.8 | 17 | 14 | 77.3 | 16 | 142 | 1 | 1 |
| 1977 | 28 | CLE | 17 | 9 | 9 | 5-4-0 | 195 | 112 | 57.4 | 1233 | 52 | 6.3 | 9 | 14 | 61.8 | 16 | 114 | 2 | 2 |
| 1978 | 29 | CLE | 17 | 16 | 16 | 8-8-0 | 399 | 222 | 55.6 | 2906 | 69 | 7.3 | 21 | 15 | 80.7 | 29 | 229 | 2 | 2 |
| 1979 | 30 | CLE | 17 | 16 | 16 | 9-7-0 | 535 | 286 | 53.5 | 3793 | 74 | 7.1 | 28 | 26 | 73.4 | 43 | 347 | 5 | 7 |
| 1980 *+✪ | 31 | CLE | 17 | 16 | 16 | 11-5-0 | 554 | 337 | 60.8 | 4132 | 65 | 7.5 | 30 | 14 | 91.4 | 23 | 217 | 3 | 4 |
| 1981 | 32 | CLE | 17 | 16 | 16 | 5-11-0 | 567 | 313 | 55.2 | 3876 | 62 | 6.8 | 17 | 25 | 68.2 | 34 | 310 | 2 | 2 |
| 1982 | 33 | CLE | 17 | 6 | 6 | 2-4-0 | 185 | 101 | 54.6 | 1064 | 40 | 5.8 | 4 | 8 | 60.7 | 13 | 117 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983 | 34 | CLE | 17 | 15 | 14 | 8-6-0 | 496 | 291 | 58.7 | 3566 | 66 | 7.2 | 26 | 23 | 79.1 | 27 | 233 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 Year NFL Career | 125 | 112 | 57-55-0 | 3439 | 1944 | 56.5 | 23713 | 74 | 6.9 | 154 | 149 | 74.8 | 224 | 1889 | 17 | 23 | |||
| Season | Age | Team | Games | QBrec | Att | Comp | Comp% | Yards | Long | Y/A | TDs | Int | Rate | Sacked | Yards Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 *+✪ | 31 | CLE | 1 | 0-1-0 | 40 | 13 | 32.5 | 183 | 29 | 4.6 | 0 | 3 | 17.0 | 2 | 14 |
| Post Season Totals | 1 | 0-1-0 | 40 | 13 | 32.5 | 183 | 29 | 4.6 | 0 | 3 | 17.0 | 2 | 14 | ||
- + – NFL All Pro Selection
- * – NFL Pro Bowl Selection
- ✪ – League MVP
