With the initial wave of free agency now in the rearview mirror, most of the big fish have been caught, and teams are now in the stages of finding creative ways to fill in the remaining gaps before shifting attention to the draft.
The Browns ‘ quarterback situation remains a major concern even after trading for Kenny Pickett, but one insider recently said he believes one veteran is still the team’s “Plan A” in free agency.
In a recent discussion on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Grossi said he still believes Kirk Cousins is the priority for the Browns at QB.
“I do, again, because he would be the cheapest if they cut him. If they don’t cut him, I think they’ll move on at that point. There are still guys out there, but the longer this goes, you better put Kenny Pickett in your list of quarterbacks who may be the opening-day starter,” Grossi said.
Is Kirk Cousins still option A for the Browns in free agency? @TonyGrossi thinks so… pic.twitter.com/TKmkMfAbD3
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 14, 2025
Given what Browns fans have been through over the past few decades, it’s going to be hard to get them excited about Cousins as their new starting quarterback.
Pickett has reportedly been told he’ll get a chance to compete for the starting job, and since Deshaun Watson is unlikely to play next season due to re-tearing his Achilles, it’s clear someone else is joining this QB room to compete with Pickett.
The more exciting option would be a rookie since the Browns have the No. 2 overall pick.
Cousins fell apart over the second half of the season with the Atlanta Falcons this past season and was eventually benched for rookie Michael Penix, while Cousins said after the season that he was dealing with a shoulder injury that the Falcons didn’t know about.
This union makes sense on paper since the Browns aren’t rebuilding, but for a fanbase that has been through a lot of pain at the quarterback position, this would be a tough sell to the fans.
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