It’s tough to get any sort of gauge on the Cleveland Browns’ four-man quarterback battle and who is in the lead to win the Week 1 starting job.
The front office and coaching staff have played the situation close to the vest to allow all four QBs plenty of time to learn the offense and develop without attention from the media.
One way to get a better idea of which quarterbacks are looking good in camp is to ask the defense, and cornerback Greg Newsome II recently said one of them reminds him of Baker Mayfield.
“[Kenny Pickett has] always been one of my favorite guys to compete against. He’s a guy that reminds me of that tenacity that Baker had,” Newsome said, via 92.3 The Fan.
🚨 #Browns CB @gnewsii on @CLETalkingHeads on QB Kenny Pickett
🏈”He’s always been one of my favorite guys to compete against. He’s a guy that reminds me of that tenacity that Baker (Mayfield) had.”
On his mobility: “It’s a nightmare.”
🔊 Listen: https://t.co/UgJFum1p55 pic.twitter.com/ZXaVZN3LCW
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 25, 2025
Pickett hasn’t had an ideal start to his career after he was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He finds himself with his third team getting a fresh chance to win a starting job and become the league’s next revitalization project.
At 27 years old, and in an offense that head coach Kevin Stefanski believes fits Pickett well, this could be his last chance to prove himself as an NFL starter.
Tenacity hasn’t always been the first thing you hear when Pickett gets discussed, and being compared to Mayfield in that aspect is about the biggest compliment he could receive.
The starting QB job is believed to come down to Pickett or Joe Flacco, and it will be interesting to monitor if Pickett can keep impressing his teammates as camp unfolds.
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Shedeur Sanders Speaks Out About His Lack Of First-Team Reps
