For Cleveland Browns fans, the phrase “Where’s the Tylenol?” may have been as popular as “Let’s go Brownies” this offseason. The Browns endured a 3-14 season in 2024 and immediately had to deal with Myles Garrett’s trade request. A contract worth $40 million annually wasn’t enough to stop the soap opera as the Browns took several flyers to figure out their quarterback situation.
The Browns are hoping that the quarterback position can be neutralized with a strong defense and running game. But it’s going to come down to the signal callers if they want to save their jobs. In the case of one quarterback, his offseason has created another headache and it could lead to a difficult decision at the end of training camp.
Kenny Pickett May Not Be Long for Cleveland After Browns OTAs
The Browns had many surprising moves this offseason, but one of the first was trading for Kenny Pickett. Pickett was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended abruptly after posting a 14-10 record as a starter but just 4,474 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in two seasons. A trade to the Philadelphia Eagles gave him the chance to take a breather behind Jalen Hurts, and this year’s move gave him a wide-open path to a starting job.
Since then, the Browns have appeared to have their own doubts about Pickett. They signed Joe Flacco in April and added Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders during the draft. Still, it was within reason for Pickett to defeat a 40-year-old quarterback and two rookies to claim the starting job in Cleveland. Diontae Johnson also joined the fray, claiming that the Browns want Pickett to win the job, but it hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons.
The first is that Flacco already has experience in the Browns system. His performance replacing an injured Deshaun Watson at the end of the 2023 season helped Cleveland reach the playoffs with a 4-1 record down the stretch and gave him an established rapport with head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns also took Gabriel in the third round after a decorated career at UCF, Oregon, and Oklahoma, and Sanders has looked good in practices despite being listed as fourth on the depth chart.
If Pickett had anything in the tank, he likely would have raced to the front of the line. Instead, it gives the Browns the headache of deciding what to do with him if he doesn’t show anything during training camp.