Steelers Now
On an episode of the Sports and Suits podcast, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson expressed confidence in Kenny Pickett’s chances of being Cleveland’s starting quarterback in 2025.
“I think [the Browns] are gonna roll with Kenny [Pickett] right now,” Johnson said. “I’ve been seeing Kenny, right now, with the ones — and then Joe [Flacco] will come in. I think they’re probably gonna roll with [Pickett], just like to see — coming off the season he was with Philly and having a Super Bowl.”
Johnson and Pickett reunite in Cleveland after spending the 2022 and 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh traded both players in March of 2024 — Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Johnson’s career fell apart in 2024 after being traded by the Steelers. Johnson became unhappy in Carolina and was traded to the Baltimore Ravens at the deadline.
After a few games in Baltimore with a greatly reduced role, Johnson refused to enter a game against the Eagles. He was suspended for a week, sat out a week and then was released. The Houston Texans claimed him on waivers, but he lasted just two weeks in Houston before he was released again after another outburst.
Johnson is trying to change the narrative associated with him after playing with three different teams in 2024.
“Everybody’s going to have their opinions. At the end of the day, I’m the only one in that room who really knows what be going on. … Last year is last year. I’m trying to change that narrative,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the Browns were “really the only team that hit me up.” He also said Pickett factored into his decision to sign with Cleveland, as well.
In May, Pickett didn’t hold back when reflecting on his time with the Eagles, appearing to take a subtle shot at his former team during an interview with Browns media.
“I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly,” Pickett said. “I just was shown how it’s supposed to be done, really, from the top down. So you get a chance to see what it’s supposed to look like and how it should look on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays. I think that will pay dividends for me in my future.”
Before joining the Eagles, Pickett spent two seasons with the Steelers, who selected him with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Once viewed as the potential heir to Ben Roethlisberger, Pickett showed flashes of late-game heroics but struggled to establish consistency in the offense.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Pickett held the top spot on the Browns’ quarterback depth chart as the team prepared for OTAs and minicamp.
“It’s a tough call before we’ve even seen the first practice of organized team activities, but I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset,” Cabot said. “He’ll take the initial first-team...
