The Cleveland Browns traded for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett on Monday, adding their potential Deshaun Watson replacement.
The Browns sent a 2025 fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Super Bowl champs for Pickett. He’ll likely be the veteran presence the Browns sought in the quarterback room.
Pickett was a first-round pick in 2022 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent two years as the starter in Pittsburgh, posting a 14-10 record. He posted 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in a Steelers uniform.
He spent last season backing up Jalen Hurts and was called into action down the stretch. Pickett completed 25-of-42 passes while with the Eagles, collecting 291 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The Browns ended the Thompson-Robinson experiment. The 25-year-old passer came in with a lot of experience under his belt from his time in college and thrived in preseason action. However, he never put it together during the regular season.
Thompson-Robinson struggled when his number was called. He went 1-4, throwing 10 interceptions and one touchdown. However, his dual-threat style is a solid match for the Eagles. He’ll compete to backup Hurts.
Browns Likely to Draft Quarterback
The move indicates that the Browns will likely take a quarterback with their No. 2 overall pick in the draft. Pickett can serve as a bridge or capable backup. The likely options for the Browns are Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Cleveland could also wait until later in the draft and snag someone they see as having high upside.
“This is a really good class from top all the way through,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said at the NFL Combine. “I know you mentioned Cam and Shedeur, but there are really good players throughout this draft at that position. I’m impressed with the whole group.
“I’m really impressed by Cam, Shedeur. There’s a bunch of guys that I think, it’s great tape. They’re really good kids, so there’s some really talented players at that position.”
Ward has gained momentum to be the first quarterback off the board while Sanders’ stock has taken a bit of a tumble. However, the Colorado standout is confident he can turn a team like the Browns — who finished 3-14 — around.
“I’ve done it at two locations already, so it’s simple,” Sanders said at the combine. “So that’s why, when people say I’m not one of the top quarterbacks or the top quarterback, it’s what are y’all going based off of? Because I did it year after year after year, and you see the progression. So obviously, it’s got to be some type of external hate that you have for the family, for the last name, for anything. Because I know I proved myself on the field.”
Deshaun Watson Seemingly Done With Browns
The Browns traded for Watson in 2022 to be their quarterback of the future. However, the move has proved to be a disaster and Watson is unlikely to be in the future plans for the Browns.
Watson initially ruptured his Achilles in October. He reinjured his Achilles during recovery in January, requiring additional surgery. The Browns expect him to miss most of next season, but a firm timeline for a return is uncertain.
Even if Watson returns to full health, his starting job with the Browns is far from guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, all signs indicate that Watson’s time in Cleveland is over, despite having two years remaining on his contract.
“Deshaun Watson has two years left on his contract at $46 million fully guaranteed each year, but he has had his Achilles tendon repaired twice in the past five months and is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season,” Graziano said. “There’s a strong chance Watson has played his final game as a Brown. Cleveland is thinking about what comes next at the position.”
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