Deshaun Watson’s season ended just seven games into the 2024 NFL season after he tore his Achilles tendon. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback recently re-tore his Achilles, which means he may not play a single down for the Cleveland Browns in 2025.
This makes the Browns one of the NFL’s most desperate teams when it comes to adding a quarterback or two this offseason. Yet, the Browns have already added one potential starter for 2025.
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Cleveland Browns trade Dorian Thompson-Robinson for Kenny Pickett
Only two quarterbacks were on the Cleveland Browns’ roster when NFL free agency began on Monday: Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe. Now, one of them is gone.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Browns have agreed to trade DTR and a fifth-round pick (from DET) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Kenny Pickett.
Pickett recently won a Super Bowl ring playing as the backup to Jalen Hurts, but he didn’t play much. Pickett appeared in five games and even won his lone start, completing 25-of-42 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He has a career win-loss record of 15-10 with a TD: INT ratio of 15 to 14.
Pickett, the 20th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft, was traded to the Eagles last offseason along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a third-round selection plus two seventh-round picks. He’ll still be just 27 when the 2025 season kicks off.
Right now, Pickett is the early favorite to begin the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback, but there’s a strong chance his status changes before kickoff. The Browns also have the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and could target a prospect at some point throughout the three-day selection event.
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