The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition remains unsettled heading into training camp.
The Browns have veteran experience in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, while rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel bring fresh talent to the mix.
With organized team activities and minicamp concluded, the focus shifts to how the battle unfolds during training camp.
Kenny Pickett has emerged as a surprising trade candidate despite many assuming he would compete for the starting position when Cleveland acquired him.
Browns insider Aditi Kinkhabwala believes writing off the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback would be premature.
“Everybody keeps underselling Kenny Pickett because of what happened in Pittsburgh. Look at the model of Sam Darnold. You go to a completely dysfunctional organization, a completely dysfunctional situation. You get a year to reset with an organization—in Sam Darnold’s case, it was San Francisco—where top-down, everybody actually knows what they’re doing and run a legitimate offense. You learn. You take advantage of that. Then you get a chance, and you look like a completely different guy than the guy that was called a bust,” Kinkhabwala said during an appearance on The Ken Carman Show.
Pickett’s Pittsburgh tenure never reached its potential after being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft.
He struggled with consistency and lost the starting job to Mason Rudolph in 2023.
His 27th-ranked QBR of 38.1 and passer rating of 81.4 reflected his difficulties.
Philadelphia acquired him in March 2024, where he spent most of the season backing up Jalen Hurts.
The Browns face decisions about their crowded quarterback room before training camp begins.
Speculation suggests they may trim the competition to three players, with Pickett appearing most likely to be moved.
Flacco brings experience and fan support, while rookies Gabriel and Sanders represent potential long-term solutions for the franchise’s quarterback needs.
NEXT:
Peter Schrager Reveals What He’s Hearing About Shedeur Sanders