PALM BEACH, Fla. — Kenny Pickett wasn’t the answer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He could erase questions about his value as an NFL quarterback this season with their AFC North rival in Cleveland.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Pickett, acquired from Philadelphia earlier in March, could get the first crack at the starting quarterback job. The former Pitt quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist, after all, is the only healthy candidate currently under contract with Cleveland.
Stefanski also pointed out that circumstances could change after the NFL Draft. The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick. If they don’t use that pick on a passer, they could take one later in the draft. Meantime, Pickett is the front-runner, a possibility that Stefanski endorses.
“It’s not Aug. 1, so I will say this: Kenny Pickett is a guy that I believe in, that we believe in,” Stefanski told reporters at the AFC coaches breakfast at the NFL annual meeting. “We’ll see how it all shakes out.”
The Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 2022 gets a new lease on his fledgling NFL career with the Browns. He spent last season backing up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, but he won his only start with the Eagles and collected a Super Bowl ring. It came after two seasons with the Steelers when Pickett took over as a starter a month into his rookie season and held the job until he sustained an injury in December 2023.
Pickett was 14-10 as a starter with the Steelers, completing 62.6% of his passes while throwing 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He was traded to Philadelphia the same day that Russell Wilson’s signing with the Steelers last March became official.
The Browns need a quarterback after Deshaun Watson had a setback in his recovery from an Achilles injury. They traded Dorian Thompson-Robinson, plus a fifth-round pick, to acquire Pickett from the Eagles.
“I think he’s a very intelligent, accurate passer,” Stefanski said, “but he’s somebody that, you’ve seen it from him. He’s made plays in games, he’s won football games with great decision-making. He’s a plus athlete. I’ve seen him make all the throws, so I really think he fits in whatever you’re planning on doing. But talented player overall.”
If Pickett were named the starter in Cleveland, he could face his former team twice. He did not play when the Eagles defeated the Steelers, 27-13, in December.