Cleveland Browns Acquire Eagles QB Kenny Pickett in Strategic Trade

The Cleveland Browns have struck a deal to acquire quarterback Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles, sending a 2025 fifth-round draft pick along with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in exchange. This move comes as a strategic decision for the Browns, who entered the free agency period anticipating the need for at least one seasoned quarterback. Their urgency is driven by the expectation that Deshaun Watson will miss a significant chunk of the 2025 season following his second right Achilles tendon tear.

Cleveland, operating under constraints from limited salary cap space, was in the market for affordable player contracts. Thompson-Robinson, picked in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, was the only remaining quarterback under contract for the 2025 season and became a part of the trade package sent to Philadelphia.

Kenny Pickett, a once highly-touted first-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. During his stint with the Steelers, he accumulated a starting record of 14 wins and 10 losses over two seasons. In a mid-season trade last year, he was sent to the Eagles in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick and a couple of 2025 seventh-round picks. Throughout his brief tenure with the Eagles, Pickett took on the role of backup to Jalen Hurts and managed to make one starting appearance.