After trading for the former Steelers first-rounder earlier this offseason, the Cleveland Browns had the chance to show full faith in Kenny Pickett by picking up his fifth-year option. They passed. That $22.4 million decision wasn’t just about money – it was about message: We like you, but we’re not sold.
And you can’t blame them. Cleveland has endured a carousel of quarterback experiments gone wrong – from Baker Mayfield to Deshaun Watson – and they’re not rushing into another blind commitment.
Instead, they’re throwing Pickett into a competition that’s anything but cozy. The quarterback room includes Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel, and wildcard first-year Shedeur Sanders. The message? Earn it.
Pickett, for his part, is embracing the challenge. Already taking first-team reps and training with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the offseason, he’s keeping his cool: “I think it’s just taking advantage of my opportunity, when it’s there… I’m trying to find that place and figure it out,” he told reporters.
Is Tomlin to blame for the Pickett’s debacle?
But behind his calm demeanor lies a rocky history. Pickett’s stint in Pittsburgh started with promise – a first-round pick by Mike Tomlin in 2022 and early preseason praise. Yet what followed was, in many eyes, sabotage.
As reported by AFC North insider Aditi Kinkhabwala, Pickett was QB3 his entire first camp, never allowed to rep with the first-team offense. And when he finally entered a regular-season game, it wasn’t by design – he was thrown in at halftime, cold.
Add in a leaky O-line, a lack of offensive identity, and a coordinator in Matt Canada who ran “the most dysfunctional, predictable offense there is,” and you have a blueprint for breaking a young quarterback before he even begins.
Kenny has one last chance with the Browns
Now, in Cleveland, Pickett has a shot at redemption – but nothing is guaranteed. The Browns are watching, waiting, and betting that competition will reveal if he’s the franchise future, or just another name on their long quarterback list.
Either way, it’s clear: Kenny Pickett’s career is at a crossroads – and this time, the system won’t be an excuse.
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