Suddenly, the Cleveland Browns have an abundance of quarterbacks after the 2025 NFL Draft. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are expected to compete for the starting job, but the former Super Bowl winner’s NFL resume is much stronger than the former first-round pick’s.

Then there are developmental options like rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. Deshaun Watson is still on the roster, but he’s not expected to see the field in Cleveland this year after re-tearing his Achilles and needing a second surgery.

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The Browns likely won’t carry four quarterbacks (five if you count Watson) on the roster when the 2025 NFL season kicks off. Cutting a rookie third or fifth-rounder seems unlikely, so who could be the odd man out?

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculates that it could be Pickett, not only because Flacco may be in line to start but also because of his ties to first-year New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore. The Saints still don’t have a defined starting QB either, and all of their options are fairly inexperienced between rookie Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener.

“My own personal belief is that it’ll be Pickett. Possibly with a trade before camp opens. He has an affordable (as quarterbacks go) $2.6 million salary for 2025, and he spent 2024 with Saints coach Kellen Moore in Philly. Pickett could provide more of a veteran presence than the quarterback room currently has.”

PFT’s Mike Florio on Cleveland Browns trading Kenny Pickett

Thus, Pickett could make a lot of sense in New Orleans for the right price, especially if they want to sprinkle in a bit more experience. Plus, it’s not like Pickett couldn’t have some untapped potential. After all, he was the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft for a reason.

Nevertheless, the Browns likely wouldn’t get much in return for trading Pickett, whom they acquired for a fifth-round pick plus Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Though, perhaps the Browns can hold onto Pickett long enough for him to perform well in preseason, possibly making him look like a more attractive trade chip before a deal is reached.

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