Browns QB Kenny Pickett Gets Bad News in Starting Job Race

The Cleveland Browns have yet to name a starting quarterback but one prominent NFL analyst believes the job may already be out of reach for Kenny Pickett.

There has been some skepticism in Pickett’s ability to seize the starting job as one of four quarterbacks in the mix, alongside Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Joe Flacco, who reunited with Cleveland in free agency.

NFL Network analyst Gregg Rosenthal shared his thoughts on the crowded Browns quarterback room this week, and his take on the situation was blunt. While the Browns may want Pickett to win the job, it’s Flacco who’s most likely to come out on top.

“Ultimately, I think Diontae Johnson is right that the Browns want Kenny Pickett to win the job,” Rosenthal said, referencing Johnson’s belief that the Browns will roll with Pickett. “But I think Joe Flacco will win the job.”

Joe Flacco Has Benefit of History With Browns

Flacco, 40, won Comeback Player of the Year with the Browns in 2023, going 4-1 as a starter and helping Cleveland reach the playoffs. He passed for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns over that stretch.

“We know what Joe Flacco can do,” Rosenthal said. “He can play at a credible level, and he went 4-1 with the Browns before.”

Pickett landed in Cleveland after an underwhelming run with the Pittsburgh Steelers and a short stint as Jalen Hurts’ backup in Philadelphia. A former first-round pick in 2022, Pickett has struggled to live up to expectations, throwing just 15 touchdowns in 25 career starts.

Rosenthal also questioned the Eagles’ decision to part with Pickett earlier this offseason. The trade yielded Philadelphia QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick.

“The Eagles essentially gave Kenny Pickett away,” Rosenthal said. “If we’re going to spend this whole offseason saying Howie Roseman is the best general manager in the game — and they could certainly use a good backup at a low price — and he basically decided to give Kenny Pickett away because Tanner McKee is a better quarterback than he is…

“Ultimately, I think Joe Flacco is going to be a better quarterback than [Pickett], and Shedeur Sanders will wind up being a backup or a third-string quarterback.”

Browns May Keep 4 Quarterbacks

Even if Pickett doesn’t win the Browns’ starting quarterback job, he could still carve out a role in Cleveland as a veteran option behind center. While keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster isn’t typical, the Browns find themselves in a unique situation and may be willing to explore unconventional roster moves as they search for stability at the position.

“Quarterback is the most important position on the team, and the Browns now have two development prospects in Gabriel and Sanders, with a possible rising veteran in Pickett,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said in her most recent Q&A column. “If someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse, they’ll listen. But keeping four is definitely within the realm of possibility.”

Cleveland wrapped up OTAs and minicamp with all four quarterbacks sharing reps. While the team continues to evaluate each option, there’s been no indication that a pecking order is imminent.

“We’re so far away from that type of thought process,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said during minicamp. “Honestly, we’re in our installation phase. It’s the offseason; it’s OTAs, so we’re going to keep the focus there. Once you get into training camp, of course, you’re getting ready to play games and ultimately getting ready for the season. But right now that’s not our focus.”

The Browns’ rookies will gather for training camp on July 18. The veterans will join on July 22.