Pro Football Rumors
For the time being, the Browns’ quarterback competition has only three healthy participants. Kenny Pickett is sidelined with a hamstring ailment.
The injury occurred late in Saturday’s practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Pickett will be re-evaluated in the coming days to determine the severity of the situation. In the meantime, veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will split reps during practice.
Further testing will reveal the extent of the injury, but Mary Cay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the Browns are not planning an addition under center. That is certainly an encouraging sign with respect to Pickett’s prognosis as he looks to return to action as quickly as possible. The former first-rounder is among the signal-callers who have seen notable time with the starting offense so far in 2025.
Pickett looked to be in the lead for the QB1 gig this spring, although a report from one month ago indicated Flacco would enter camp as the frontrunner. The latter has familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s scheme along with the backing of at least some Browns veterans. Flacco could look to further increase his odds of receiving the Week 1 nod with a slight uptick in work given Pickett’s absence.
Cleveland will, to no surprise, not consider a trade involving either of the rookies. With Gabriel and Sanders safe, many have pointed to Flacco and Pickett – both of whom are pending 2026 free agents – as a potential trade candidates at the end of the summer. The winner of this year’s quarterback competition will of course survive roster cutdowns, but the veteran which does not earn the gig could represent a backup option for outside suitors.
Nevertheless, the prospect of carrying all four quarterbacks on the roster through the start of the season has been raised, and general manager Andrew Berry recently repeated his willingness to take that route. In any case, Pickett’s health will be a factor in determining how the depth chart shakes out. His injury outlook will thus be worth monitoring.
