Despite a recent hamstring that sidelined him for three practices, Kenny Pickett remains determined to win the Browns’ starting quarterback job. Pickett is in a position battle with 18-year veteran Joe Flacco. The Browns’ depth chart at quarterback also includes rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland held Sanders out of team drills during Saturday’s practice due to arm soreness.
“Yeah, 100% it is,” Pickett said when asked about his determination to start. “I’m trying to get back out there, you know, as fast as possible. I’ve never had, you know, a soft tissue injury like this, so really a first-time experience in my career, I felt like I came in great shape, was hitting numbers speed wise that I’ve never hit before. So, it’s frustrating that it happened but you know, turn the page and just trying to be, you know, as good as I can be when I do return.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski recently said that he liked what he saw from Pickett during the first block of training camp practices that included extensive time with the Browns’ first-team offense. Stefanski specifically lauded Pickett’s mobility, an ability that could give him an edge over the 40-year-old Flacco.
“He’s a player that has had a good amount of NFL game exposure,” Stefanski said. “He’s had a lot of reps going back through the spring and what we’ve gotten accomplished so far through training camp. You don’t want anybody to be missing action due to any injury, but he has done a nice job of staying very much engaged.”
Pickett, 26, is hoping to get a second chance to be a starting NFL quarterback. A 2022 first-round pick, Pickett went 7-5 as the Steelers’ starting quarterback during both the 2022 and ’23 seasons. He was traded from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia last offseason, however, after the Steelers decided to go in a different direction at quarterback. He won his lone start in Philadelphia last season while serving as Jalen Hurts’ backup.
Pickett’s return from his hamstring injury comes at a good time for both himself and the team. The Browns have two more practices in Cleveland before they head to Charlotte for a joint practice with the Panthers. The Browns will then face the Panthers in their first preseason game on August 8.
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