The Browns made a deal earlier this week when Cleveland sent the Philadelphia Eagles a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and Dorian Thompson-Robinson in exchange for quarterback Kenny Pickett’s services.
Cleveland is a quarterback-needy organization with all four players from last year’s team not expected to return for action in 2025.
With Thompson-Robinson’s exit, the Browns could make next season’s starter the 41st quarterback to start at least one contest for the franchise since its rebirth in 1999.
Pickett is hopeful he’ll get that nod.
In his first remarks since being traded, the fourth-year quarterback revealed what the Browns told him when Cleveland executed the trade to acquire him.
“Browns new QB Kenny Pickett says ‘I do see myself as a starter.’ Has been told by the Browns he has a chance to compete to be a starter,” Cabot said.
#Browns new QB Kenny Pickett says “I do see myself as a starter.” Has been told by the Browns he has a chance to compete to be a starter: pic.twitter.com/CwUDSYnL1v
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 13, 2025
Pickett has experience as a starter in the NFL, going 15-10 over the past three seasons with the Eagles and his first franchise, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh drafted Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he started 24 games while with the Steelers.
The Steelers elected to reboot their quarterback room last season, shipping Pickett to the Eagles in the process.
He went 1-0 in his lone start for Philadelphia last season, defeating the Cowboys while he replaced an injured Jalen Hurts.
Cleveland will likely bring in another veteran quarterback to compete for the starting role in 2025, and the franchise is widely expected to use one of their 10 picks on a rookie signal-caller to develop into a future starter.
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