The Browns may have missed on the swing they took with Deshaun Watson. But as they rebuild their quarterbacks room, they did trade for 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett.
After spending last season with the Eagles, Pickett is set to receive an opportunity to start in 2025. He’s currently the only healthy quarterback on Cleveland’s roster, as Watson will miss at least a significant portion of the season after suffering a setback in his recovery from a torn Achilles.
“Very excited about Kenny,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said at the annual league meeting on Monday, via Zac Jackson of TheAthletic.com. “We’ve had him up into our building and [liked] just the brief time talking to him, understanding what he knows about this game and how he’s been coached. I caught up with some of his former coaches in Philly and they filled me in on the type of person, type of player he is.
“So, excited for Kenny and the opportunity to see what he’s capable of. He’s got the right makeup for it.”
Pickett, 26, started one game for Philadelphia last season, though he did appear in five regular-season contests. He completed 60 percent of his throws in those games, passing for 290 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The Steelers traded Pickett to the Eagles after he started 24 games for the team in his first two seasons, leading the club to a 7-5 record each year. He completed 62.6 percent of his throws for Pittsburgh for 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
