PALM BEACH, Fla. — While the Browns determine if Shedeur Sanders is their quarterback of the future and wait for Kirk Cousins to decide what to do, they’re fully prepared to start Kenny Pickett this season if it shakes out that way.
“Obviously it’s March 31, so there’s still a draft to be had,” Stefanski said Monday at the AFC coaches breakfast at the NFL Annual Meeting. “It’s not August 1, so I will say this: Kenny Pickett’s a guy that I believe in, that we believe in. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.”
The Browns acquired Pickett, the Steelers’ No. 20 overall pick in 2022 out of Pitt, in a trade with the Eagles for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft. Pickett, 26, landed in Philadelphia last season after he asked to be traded when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson.
They shipped him across the state along with a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for a 2024 third-rounder and two seventh-rounders. He packed up his 14-10 record — including a 2-1 mark against the Browns — and became the backup to Jalen Hurts.
In addition to a fresh start, Pickett earned a Super Bowl ring in February for the Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Chiefs. He even got in the game at the end, handing the ball off, attempting a pass, and kneeling out the victory.
“Very excited about Kenny,” Stefanski said. “We’ve had him up into our building and just the brief time talking to him, understanding what he knows about this game and how he’s been coached. I caught up with some of his former coaches in Philly and they filled me in on the type of person, type of player. So excited for Kenny and the opportunity, see what he’s capable of and he’s got the right makeup for it.”
In Pickett, the Browns see a young, developmental quarterback who just might surprise folks if given a chance with the right supporting cast. In Cleveland, he’ll have an excellent offensive line, a bolstered running game, and Pro Bowl weapons in Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku. He’ll also operate in Stefanski’s QB-friendly scheme.
“He’s a very intelligent, accurate passer, but he’s somebody that, you’ve seen it from him,” Stefanski said. “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 overall player.”
The Browns also view Pickett as a possible rendition of a Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield or Jared Goff — former first-round picks who stumbled some out of the gate but rehabilitated their careers down the road.
“With Kenny, a young player, we spent a good amount of time with him during the pre-draft process when he came out and feel like he’s a good decision-maker, he does a really good job of protecting the ball, he’s very mobile and we think that his relative strengths are something that fit well with the offense that we’re putting into place for this upcoming year,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said here Sunday.
