The Cleveland Browns offer Kenny Pickett the chance to be a starting quarterback once again. Granted, Pickett is part of a crowded quarterback room that also includes veteran Joe Flacco as well as 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel (pick No. 94) and Shedeur Sanders (pick No. 144).
Acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason in a deal that saw Cleveland send quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia, Pickett expressed that he’s “preparing” as if he’s Cleveland’s starter like he “always” has, while crediting his 2024 experience in Philadelphia.
“I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly,” Pickett said on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. “I think I was just shown how it’s supposed to be done, really, from the top down. So, when you get a chance to see what it’s supposed to look like and how it should look on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays. You know, I think it’ll pay dividends for me in the future.”
The Eagles acquired Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers last year to backup starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Pickett appeared in five regular-season games and made one start for the Eagles in 2024, while making two more appearances in the playoffs, en route to the team winning Super Bowl LIX.
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Speaking on the team’s quarterback competition, Pickett downplayed the potential animosity among the signal-callers, saying you “become friends with these guys, and we’re just pushing each other.”
Pickett made a combined 25 appearances/24 starts for the Steelers from 2022-23. Over those two seasons, Pickett averaged 2,237 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 78.8 passer rating per season, while completing 62.6% of his passes. Pittsburgh went 14-10 with Pickett under center.
The Steelers selected Pickett with the No. 20 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh, with whom he was a finalist for the 2021 Heisman Trophy Award. Steelers legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw recently expressed that he “liked” Pickett and inferred the franchise failed him.
The Browns declined Pickett’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent after the 2025 NFL season.
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Cleveland Browns
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