BEREA -- When the Cleveland Browns traded for quarterback Kenny Pickett, many felt it was for him to compete for a chance to be the backup quarterback with another veteran or rookie.
However, Pickett said he expects to compete for the starting quarterback position. Pickett was introduced to the Cleveland media on a Zoom call on Thursday. He said he's excited to be back in the AFC North.
"It's going to be great," Pickett said. "The AFC North obviously, is very competitive and playing in it for my first two years in the league, I understood that quickly. The games aren't always pretty, but it's a violent style of football and I'm excited to get back into it, and I just think it's a great opportunity to go compete. Again, that's really all you can ask for, and that's what I was told here, coming in here, having an opportunity to compete again, so I'm very excited for that."
#Browns QB Kenny Pickett said it was with the expectation that he would be competing for the starting QB job. pic.twitter.com/bXTJXd6Yr8
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) March 13, 2025
Pickett said it was his understanding that he would have the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback job.
"Yeah, a chance to compete to be the starter," he said when asked to clarify what he was told he could compete for.
Pickett was acquired in the trade for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the fifth-round pick, which the Browns got in the trade to the Lions for defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
Former Steelers quarterback, Russell Wilson, was visiting with the Browns on Thursday and is under consideration to join the Browns.
"It's fine with me," Pickett said "As long as I have a chance to compete, that's all you can ask for. So having that opportunity is awesome as a player. So I'm looking forward to working with whoever comes in the building."
Wilson took over for the Steelers in 2024 after the Steelers moved on from Pickett.
Pickett said he views himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
"Yeah, I do," he said. "I do view myself as a starter. I'm sure they're going to bring in another veteran and who knows what else, but I'm just excited to be here and compete with whoever. All the quarterback rooms I've been in, each room's been really tight. We all pull for each other, and that's really what it's all about, getting better together and making the team better. So definitely prepared for whatever situation that may present itself."
#Browns newest QB Kenny Pickett on opportunity with the Browns pic.twitter.com/r3Y474WOYU
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) March 13, 2025
The general thought is that Pickett could be the third quarterback behind a veteran that is brought in as a starter, whether it be Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers or another veteran quarterback and a possible rookie quarterback that could be drafted as high as second-overall, whether it be Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart or another.
Pickett said he understands that there is going to be competition for any position in the NFL and is not bothered by that.
"No, not really," he said. "I mean, all you want is an opportunity. It doesn't matter who else is in the room. All you can ask for is an opportunity.
"I think my job's simple," Pickett said. "I just go play quarterback. There's people that go make those decisions and I have no say in it. I really love my job and I wouldn't trade my job, but I like to go out there and throw the football, compete. Like I said before, whatever happens, happens, and I'm just excited to be here and go play."
Pickett, 26, was originally, drafted 20th overall by the Steelers in the 2022 draft. Pickett has started a total of 25 games over three seasons. After two years with the Steelers, he was traded to the Eagles.
Pickett has a career completion percentage of 62.4 percent, throwing 15 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pickett played at the University of Pittsburgh where he had success, but was the top quarterback in one of the worst quarterback classes of the NFL Draft.
#Browns Kenny Pickett thought he might be traded in talking with the Eagles after the season. pic.twitter.com/YsZRN0ZYPX
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) March 13, 2025
Pickett (6-3, 220) is in the last year of his rookie deal and carries a salary of $2.623,350, all of which is guaranteed.
Pickett has appeared in 30 career games with 25 starts with the Steelers (2022-23) and Eagles (2024) and owns a 15-10 record as a starter. He has completed 471 of 755 passes (62.4 percent) for 4,765 yards with 15 touchdowns. Last season, he appeared in five games with one start for the Eagles.
Pickett said he has learned a lot in his first three years in the NFL.
"Being able to handle adversity and finding ways to win," he said. "At the end of the day, that's what this league's about. Winning, figuring out how to get the job done. At the end of the day, whatever the team may ask or whatever that day may hold for you, just find a way to walk out of there as a winner. So I think continuing to grow as a quarterback, as a player, something I'm going to try to continue to do here in Cleveland."
Pickett said he felt there was a chance that he would be traded after the season from the Eagles.
"After the season and exit meetings, I felt like having those conversations knew that there was a possibility that I was going to get traded," he said. "We felt like the two games that I got in there, I had some pretty good tape through those two games. I did not know that it could have been Cleveland. That was a little bit of a surprise based on the teams that they were telling me early on in the process, but I'm extremely happy to be here. I know how much talent's on this team having a chance to talk with the entire coaching staff. I'm very excited to get to work here."
Pickett said he met with Kevin Stefanski at the NFL Combine and had a chance to talk to him.
"Yeah, I did," he said. "I had a chance to meet with them in Indy, actually, with Kevin and kind of going through his system was very similar to the offense that I ran at the University of Pittsburgh with Coach Mark Whipple. He actually worked here in Cleveland during his time in the league too, before he was in the college level.
"So having a chance to work with Coach Whip and learn from him three years at Pitt in an NFL system really prepared me for the NFL and understand the terminology, the concepts that a lot of teams do run," he said. "So there's a lot of crossover there. I think that'll really help me speed that process up here. Learning the system."
Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson