Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: The Cleveland Browns started playing in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC folded .
Simplified: The team began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference ( AAFC ) and joined the NFL in 1950 when the leagues merged .