The Cleveland Browns made a trade for veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett, but they may not be done adding passers before the NFL Draft in April.
The Browns traded a 2025 fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson for Pickett, a former first-round pick. Pickett, who is just 26 years old, has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles and has some upside.
Pickett is a solid option, but he might not be the only one. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes the team could explore other options.
“Pickett was brought in by the Browns to compete, and they’ll likely still look for another veteran ‘bridge’ quarterback who might be called on to start until their rookie is ready,” Cabot said. “They’re also still strongly considering a rookie quarterback with their No. 2 overall pick, either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. They also like other quarterbacks in the draft and could take one later, or possibly even draft two.”
Carson Wentz Potential Option for Browns
The Browns have a recent history of stockpiling quarterback talent, although it hasn’t worked out in their favor. Cleveland entered training camp last year with Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Thompson-Robinson, and Tyler Huntley on their roster. The Browns released Huntley prior to the start of the regular season. All three went on to start games last season — Winston, DTR, and Watson with the Browns, and Huntley with the Dolphins.
The year before, Cleveland traded away Joshua Dobbs before the start of the season, rolling with Watson and Thompson-Robinson as their top two passers.
As names continue to come off the board with free agency progressing, a veteran passer that the Browns have had rumored interest in is Carson Wentz. He was a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs last season. He started one game at the end of the season after the Chiefs had secured the top seed. His previous meaningful season came in 2021 when he started 17 games with the Indianapolis Colts. He went 9-8, passing for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Deshaun Watson Likely Done With Browns
The Browns are leaving no stone unturned in their search for quarterback solutions as they try to navigate the fallout from the disastrous Watson trade. Cleveland sacrificed three first-round picks and committed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to Watson — a decision that continues to cast a long shadow over the franchise.
Watson initially ruptured his Achilles in October. He reinjured his Achilles in January, requiring additional surgery. The Browns expect him to miss most of next season, but even when healthy, he likely won’t factor much into the quarterback equation.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that all signs indicate that Watson’s time in Cleveland is over, despite having two years remaining on his contract. The Browns will likely keep Watson around to avoid the hefty cap penalties that would come with releasing him.
When Watson becomes a free agent, he will be 31 years old and six years removed from his last Pro Bowl season. It’s unlikely that a team will take a gamble on him, even as a backup.
