The Cleveland Browns' quarterback battle just got a little more interesting in training camp. Kenny Pickett, who some believed had emerged as the frontrunner, left Saturday's practice with a hamstring injury and will miss at least one week.
After leaving practice, Pickett will have his hamstring injury re-evaluated within the next week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. With the severity of the injury still unknown, Pickett is only guaranteed to miss a few sessions, but could be in store for a more prolonged absence.
However, with training camp wrapping up on Aug. 4, Pickett will likely miss several crucial practice sessions. Nothing is set in stone, but the Browns' quarterback battle appears to be a game of inches, with even the slightest absence making a potentially major impact.
With Pickett still on somewhat of an even ground with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, the competition narrows to three players for the time being. The Browns continue to give little insight into the situation, but Pickett was coming off a “strong couple of practices,” according to Schefter.
If Pickett's injury is determined to be more severe than the team initially believed, Flacco figures to have the inside track to start Week 1. Several reports suggest that Kevin Stefanski plans to start one of his two veteran players to begin the season, giving his rookies more time to settle in.
Kenny Pickett temporarily removed from Browns QB battle
Since taking over as head coach in 2020, Stefanski has earned two Coach of the Year awards while leading the Browns to two 10-win seasons in his first four years. Unfortunately, everything fell apart in 2024, with a plethora of injuries and quarterback woes causing Cleveland to plummet to a 3-14 record after going 11-6 in 2023.
The Browns still have DeShaun Watson on their roster, but multiple Achilles injuries will keep him out for the 2025 season. Fans desperately wanted a quarterback change anyway, inspiring Cleveland to take two highly-touted signal-callers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Without any definitive answers in training camp, the Browns appear to be waiting until the preseason before making any decisive judgments. Cleveland plays its first preseason game on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. Pickett would likely need to be cleared within the next week to suit up for the game. If not, his next chance will come on Aug. 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
