Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) reacts to his touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Browns made a trade on Monday with the hopes of taking a former first-round quarterback and seeing if they can get him to finally play up to his potential. The Browns traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns sent away a 2025 fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson — whom they had drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. The idea behind the trade is undoubtedly to see if Kevin Stefanski and his staff can harness the star power that once made Pickett a first-round pick at Pitt, but it’s well worth noting that the Browns aren’t putting all of their eggs in the Pickett basket.
Team insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is reporting that the Browns are still going to be searching for a “bridge” quarterback this offseason.
Perhaps they’ve learned from the DeShaun Watson experience. Keep in mind, he’s going to miss much of 2025 as he heals from a right ACL tear.
More importantly, though, is the fact that Cabot’s update clearly references a rookie quarterback, which means that she’s all but guaranteeing a signal-caller will go No. 2 overall to the Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Browns may try to tap Pickett of his potential in the meantime, but the long-term plan in Cleveland is clearly to put some smart, veteran quarterbacks around their rookie in the hopes of giving that player the chance to sit and learn. It’s essentially the NFL’s version of a redshirt year.
Pickett does have starting experience in the NFL and he was the backup quarterback for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles last season, so he clearly has value. Other quarterbacks who could be on the Browns’ radar for this “quarterback brain trust” include Daniel Jones, Carson Wentz and potentially Kirk Cousins, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
