Browns bring back white facemasks, introduce new logo

The Cleveland Browns will bring back white facemasks, which they wore on their helmets throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s, they announced Wednesday. They also unveiled a new logo.

“We are excited to honor our storied history through the return of the white facemask,” JW Johnson ,a partner in the Haslam Sports Browns ownership group, said in a news release.

“As we continue to write the next chapter of Browns’ history, we reflect on different eras, such as the ‘Kardiac Kids’ and the return of the franchise, that led us to this place in time.”

The Browns, who previously wore brown facemasks with their primary helmets, started wearing white facemasks in 1975. They kept them until 1995, when they suspended operations. The Browns brought back the white facemasks in 1999 when they returned as an expansion franchise and kept them on their helmets until 2005.

They sported the white facemasks twice over the last two seasons, including a Week 15 win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and a Week 11 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023.

The Browns also altered their primary logo, switching their brown facemasks with the revived white version. They used running back Nick Chubb, who recently restructured his contract, as a model for the new helmet in several social media posts.

NFL teams with returning head coaches, including the Browns, started voluntary off-season workouts on Monday.

ELSEWHERE

Dolphins: Miami bolstered its special teams by agreeing to terms with veteran New York Giants free agent linebacker Cam Brown, a former sixthround pick out of Penn State, had seven special teams tackles last season. He has played more than 80 percent of the Giants’ special teams snaps over the past four seasons — 1328 special teams snaps in all. Brown has played only 107 defensive snaps in his four-year career.

Cowboys: Dallas added depth to its backfield by signing running back Royce Freeman, 28.

Terms were not disclosed but multiple media outlets reported it was a one-year contract.

Dallas needed help at the position after seeing last season’s leading rusher

Tony Pollard depart in free agency.

Freeman ran for 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games off the bench last season with the Los Angeles Rams. The 2018 third-round pick has rushed for 1,792 yards with 10 TDs in 79 career games (nine starts) with the Denver Broncos (2018-20), Carolina Panthers (2021), Houston Texans (2021-22) and Rams (2023).

49ers: Veteran wide receiver and return specialist Trent Taylor has returned to San Francisco, which has an opening after losing Ray-Ray McCloud last month to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

Taylor, 29, signed a one-year contact on Tuesday with the 49ers, who had selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Louisiana

Tech.

After playing for San Francisco from 2017-20 — Taylor spent most of 2019 on injured reserve (foot surgery) — before playing for the Cincinnati Bengals (2021-22) and Chicago Bears (2023). He has 87 career receptions for 834 yards and three touchdowns in 78 games (three starts), with his best season as a rookie in 2017, when he made 43 catches for 430 yards and two scores.

Lions: Detroit quarterback Jared Goff embraced helping steer the forever underdog franchise out of the doldrums and deep into the playoffs last season.

But the future isn’t certain for Goff, who has one year remaining on the four-year, $134 million contract extension he signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2109. Goff is due $27.3 million in 2024.

Goff recorded a careerbest 67.3 completion percentage and threw for

4,575 yards (No. 2 in the NFL) with 30 touchdowns (fourth in the league) and 12 interceptions this season. He is knocking on the door of making his second Super Bowl appearance, with his first coming with the Los Angeles Rams in a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Feb. 3, 2019.

Goff turns 30 in October and could be a measuring stick used for other contract negotiations, including the case of Cowboys soon-to-be-free-agent Dak Prescott. He’s in the final year of a four-year, $160 million deal in Dallas.