The Cleveland Browns were going to enter 2025 in a very difficult spot without Deshaun Watson tearing his Achilles and Myles Garrett requesting a trade, but the combination of those two knockout punches has left many wondering if the Browns will once again be one of the worst teams in the league.
With Watson hurt and Jameis Winston a free agent, the Browns currently do not have a plan at quarterback. While they could draft either Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Sheduer Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, both of them would be getting thrown into a meat grinder in a brutal division.
It seems like the Browns may be better off investing in a bridge or stopgap quarterback this season, as names like Kirk Cousins have been mentioned regularly. One insider, however, believes the Browns will go in a very different direction by acquiring a young quarterback no one had connected to Cleveland previously.
Aditi Kinkhabwala mentioned Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback and former Pittsburgh Steelers bust Kenny Pickett as a possible trade candidate the Browns could target, apparently ignoring the fact that an offense with this level of skill position talent led by Pickett would be a recipe for disaster.
NFL insider suggests Browns could trade for Eagles QB Kenny Pickett
Pickett may have won a few games with the Steelers, but very few (if any) were due to his transcendent quarterback play from the pocket. Cursed with small hands and below-average arm strength, Pickett has shown he is not a viable starting quarterback in the NFL at this point.
Pickett looked serviceable in Kellen Moore's offense when called upon, but there is still a huge gap between him and Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts. The emergence of former Day 3 draft pick Tanner McKee may make Pickett expendable, but that doesn't mean he should get starting looks.
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Giving up draft capital to acquire Pickett, who is not going to be in Cleveland very long barring an act of God that turns him into a franchise quarterback, would be a desperate move from Berry. Trading for a quarterback makes sense, but the ceiling needs to be higher than Pickett.
The only way Pickett makes sense is if the Browns are openly admitting they are tanking the 2025 season in the hope of turning over a new leaf. With both Stefanski and Berry in need of a good season to save their jobs, it seems unlikely they would stake their professional careers on someone like Pickett.