The Cleveland Browns today signed quarterback Jake Delhomme (pronounced DUH-lome) to a multi-year contract as a free agent, the team announced.

Delhomme has appeared in 97 games in his NFL career, notching 92 starts and holds a 54-38 record as a starter while with New Orleans (1997-2002) and Carolina (2003-09). He has completed 1,630 of 2,755 passes for 19,892 yards with 123 touchdowns and 94 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.1. He has reached the 3,000-yard plateau in four seasons, including a career-high 3,886 in 2004 when he also totaled a career-high 29 touchdown passes.

In eight playoff games, he has completed 130 of 226 passes for 1,847 yards with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Delhomme owns a 5-3 record in the postseason and became the first quarterback in NFL history to guide a team to four consecutive postseason road victories (2003-04). In his first season as a starter (2003), he led the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where he threw for 323 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 32-29 loss to New England.

Originally signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 1997, Delhomme spent parts of his first two NFL seasons on the Saints’ practice squad. He was allocated to NFL Europe in both 1998 and 1999. In 1998, he served in a reserve role to Kurt Warner on the Amsterdam Admirals. In 1999, he led the Frankfurt Galaxy to the World Bowl Championship.

He made his NFL debut in a starting role against Dallas on December 24, 1999, leading the Saints to a 31-24 victory as he threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a score. He appeared in six games with two starts for New Orleans before joining the Panthers as an unrestricted free agent in 2003.

During the season opener in 2003, with Carolina trailing 14-0 at the half, Delhomme replaced starter Rodney Peete and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad on his first pass attempt as a Panther. He led Carolina to a 24-23 come-from-behind victory, culminating with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 16 seconds remaining. The win is one of 20 career fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning drives for Delhomme, including the playoffs. He started the remaining 15 games in 2003 and totaled 3,219 passing yards with 19 touchdowns, helping Carolina to an 11-5 record and three postseason victories en route to Super Bowl XXXVIII. Delhomme racked up 987 passing yards with six touchdowns and one interception in the four playoff contests that year.

After a 1-7 start to the 2004 season, Delhomme and Carolina rebounded to a 6-2 record in the second half of the season. He set career-highs with 310 completions, 533 attempts, 3,886 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2005, he helped lead the team to an 11-5 record and amassed 3,000 yards for the third consecutive season, while earning a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl roster. He guided Carolina to two playoff wins, before falling to Seattle in the NFC Championship game. Delhomme recorded 3,288 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, guiding the Panthers to a 12-4 mark in 2008.

The 6-2, 215 pound Delhomme ended his college career at Louisiana-Lafayette (1993-96) as the all-time Louisiana college passing leader with 9,216 yards on 655-of-1,246 passing with 64 touchdowns and 57 interceptions. He ranked 22nd in NCAA history for passing yards and 28th for total offense at the close of his career. Born January 10, 1975, Delhomme attended Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette, La.

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