Mike Pagel

Mike Pagel’s no-nonsense Browns tenure from '86-'90 feels like ancient history next to Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland's poised 2026 starter still scripting his story. Pagel grinded out 9,414 yards and a 63.3 rating amid brutal defenses, while Shedeur dazzles in pass-happy air raids—Pagel's legacy is etched in dogged starts, Shedeur's just heating up like a rookie Bernie Kosar 2.0.

Nah, Mike Pagel’s not in Canton—his nine-year grind with the Browns and Rams, slinging 9,414 yards at a 63.3 rating, didn’t punch that Hall ticket. Think of him as the ultimate journeyman backup who stepped up in Bernie’s shadow, reliable like a '90s truck but short on the glamour picks voters crave.

In 2026, Pagel’s traded gridiron scars for a quieter life, dipping into Phoenix real estate deals and popping up on Browns radio spots dissecting film with that old-school edge. No splashy broadcasts or galas, just smart business moves and mentoring young QBs at local camps—classic Pagel, under the radar but still calling audibles.

Pagel’s quick release and pocket smarts would feast in today’s no-roughing-the-passer paradise, bumping that 63.3 rating toward respectability amid RPO schemes. No elite arm like Mahomes, but his '89 Browns stint (819 yards, 48.2 rating) screams solid No. 2—think Geno Smith with more mustache and fewer INTs in this wide-open era.

Pagel’s 63.3 career rating pales next to Otto Graham’s sky-high 86.6 average across a decade of Browns glory, four titles, and gunslinger magic. Pagel was the '80s cleanup guy post-Otto’s shadow, tough in Kosar’s backup role, but Graham invented the position—Pagel’s like a reliable relief pitcher to Otto’s Cy Young dominator.