Offseason training activities in their most *football-like* form have not happened just yet, but it appears Kenny Pickett has the leg up on the rest of the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition.
According to Mary Kay Cabot, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is the early favorite to become the Browns’ starter in a transitional year. It would mean Pickett beat out veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
“It’s a tough call before we’ve even seen the first practice of organized team activities, but I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset,” Cabot said. “He’ll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp, and it seems like it’s his job to try to keep for now.”
Pickett was Jalen Hurts’ backup this year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns in his one start. The Eagles were Pickett’s childhood team growing up, and he got to win a Super Bowl with them. Pickett even entered late in the game when the Eagles were crushing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Over his career, Pickett has played in 30 games, throwing for 4786 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. The Steelers’ first-round pick out of Pitt in the 2022 NFL Draft, Pickett was heralded as a player who could help turn around the franchise after playing next door at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.