The Cleveland Browns have revamped their quarterback room this offseason, and while all the attention is rightfully on their pair of rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, they also feature a wild card in former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. After spending a season with the Philadelphia Eagles and winning a Super Bowl ring, the team traded him to the Browns earlier this offseason.
Pickett acted primarily as Jalen Hurts backup under center after two uneven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he did have to fill in for him several times. Now, he’s got a shot to earn the Browns starting quarterback gig, but first, he opted to reflect on his stint with the Eagles, and he made it abundantly clear how he felt about playing for them during their championship season in 2024.
Kenny Pickett Opens Up on Time with Eagles
Kenny Pickett was selected by the Steelers with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, but he struggled during his time with the team. In 25 games, 24 of which he started, Pickett threw for just 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, leading Pittsburgh to give up on their dreams of him becoming their quarterback of the future and trade him to Philadelphia.
In five games, Pickett threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns with the Eagles last season. He won his only start of the season when he was forced to fill in for an injured Hurts against the Dallas Cowboys. Philly ended up blowing them out 41-7, with Pickett throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown, while also adding another score on the ground. He wasn’t spectacular by any means, but he got the job done when he was needed.
2024 ended up being Pickett’s only season with the Eagles, though, as the team flipped him to the Browns in exchange for another young quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and a 2025 fifth-round pick. While his time with the team ended up being brief, Pickett issued a glowing review of the Eagles organization, saying that they showed him how things are supposed to be done in the NFL.
“I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly,” Pickett said via the Browns’ official transcript. “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.”
Kenny Pickett Looking to Win Browns Starting Quarterback Job
Getty Images| Kenny Pickett is the early frontrunner for the Browns QB job.
Now, Pickett finds himself in a quarterback battle with Gabriel, Sanders, and 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco after the team’s presumed starter, Deshaun Watson, re-ruptured his Achilles back in January. Flacco’s experience with the Browns after he led them to the playoffs back in 2023 may give him the inside track to be the Week 1 starter, but Pickett’s upside and experience could end up leading to him earning the gig if he puts together a strong body of work during training camp.
Pickett is only a few years removed from being a first-round pick, so Cleveland will be looking to tap into his potential. If he can take what he learned during his time with Philadelphia, the Pickett trade could end up panning out quite nicely for the Browns in the 2025 season and beyond.
