All-Time Browns QBs Ranked: Graham #1, Kosar #2

Gary Lane

#15 · Cleveland Browns
Retired 2 Years In The NFL
🏆 3× First-team All-Big Eight (1963, 1964, 1965)
Gary's
HAIR
7.4
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Gary Lane or the Browns?

Gary Lane Legacy

HEYTC AI
Gary Lane was one of those football lifers who seemed to have a sideline pass to every era of the game. At Missouri, he was the classic tough, dual-threat college QB, outdueling a young Steve Spurrier in a gritty Sugar Bowl win that old-timers in Columbia still talk about. His NFL playing days with the Browns and Giants were brief, but that was really just Act I. Lane came back as a top-tier official, working Super Bowls and finding himself in the middle of some of the league’s strangest, most memorable moments. He passed in 2003, leaving a legacy that literally spanned whistle to whistle.
Gary Lane passed away on June 27, 2003 at the age of 60.

Gary Lane Rating Breakdown

Season
Non-Factor
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
2 years with the Browns

Gary Lane Career Stats via Wikipedia

0 Pass Yards
2 Touchdowns
1 INTs
0.0% Comp %
7.4 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Gary Lane

How does Shedeur Sanders compare to Gary Lane?

Shedeur already dwarfs Gary Lane statistically; Lane threw just 2 NFL touchdown passes and bounced between Browns and Giants before heading to Canada. Sanders is the modern prototype: shotgun, RPOs, 40-attempt Sundays. Lane’s more of a deep-cut trivia answer and cult college star at Missouri than a measuring stick for the current Browns QB room.

Is Gary Lane in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

No, Gary Lane is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His Canton case was never really a conversation; his NFL playing career was short, with 254 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, and he did his best work as a college star at Missouri and then as a long-time NFL official instead of a marquee pro quarterback.

How would Gary Lane perform in today's NFL?

Drop Gary Lane into today’s NFL and he benefits from every rule book tweak protecting quarterbacks and juicing the passing game, but he’s probably a camp-arm, QB3 type. At Missouri he was a tough, dual-threat leader who could run and improvise, which coaches love, but his limited pro production suggests he’d be fighting for roster scraps in 2026.

How does Gary Lane compare to Otto Graham?

Otto Graham and Gary Lane are technically both Browns quarterbacks, but that’s like comparing Sinatra at the Sands to a solid lounge singer. Graham is a Mount Rushmore guy with an efficiency mark around 62.63, while Lane’s passer rating sits at 7.35 in Cleveland action, with just 2 career TD passes. Lane’s a fun footnote; Graham defined an era.