Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said repeatedly that the team was prepared to carry four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster. But on Monday night, the organization shifted course once it received trade interest in Kenny Pickett from the Las Vegas Raiders. The Browns announced that they have traded Pickett to the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Raiders backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell broke his wrist in the preseason finale vs. the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, per ESPN. That moved general manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll to consider other options behind starter Geno Smith. Pickett, in a logjam with Joe Flacco and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel in Cleveland, became an attractive option for Las Vegas.
Pickett did not play in a single one of Cleveland’s three preseason contests due to a hamstring injury. This marks the second time this offseason that Pickett, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been traded. Cleveland acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson back in March.
Shedeur Sanders is exactly who the Browns thought he was … and that’s not a bad thing
Ryan Wilson
Pickett, who has starting experience from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, served as the primary backup to Jalen Hurts as the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season. Now he appears to be in line for a similar role with the Raiders.
With this move, the Browns are set to have Gabriel and Sanders as the backups to the 40-year-old Flacco when regular season begins against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.
The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft before adding Sanders in the fifth. Both experienced ups and downs throughout the preseason, but Pickett’s departure seems to signal they will both remain with the team past roster cutdown day on Tuesday. How the pecking order behind Flacco plays out remains to be seen, but let’s take a look at what we learned over the past few weeks.
What’s next for Shedeur Sanders?
Despite the Browns previously having five quarterbacks on roster, Sanders got the start in Cleveland’s first preseason matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The veteran Flacco wasn’t going to suit up in the Browns’ first exhibition game, then Gabriel and Pickett were ruled out with hamstring injuries, leaving Sanders and Tyler Huntley as the only two quarterbacks.
After a slow start, Sanders quickly rebounded to complete 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions in a 30-10 victory. He looked composed in the pocket, and made several impressive throws. The former Colorado star quickly became the story of the sports world, as everyone began to wonder if he was rising up the depth chart — or even had a chance to unseat the presumed favorite, Flacco.
Sanders missed the Browns’ second preseason matchup at Philadelphia due to an oblique injury, but suited up for the finale vs. the Los Angeles Rams. This outing was a different story than his first. Sanders completed just 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards, and took a whopping five sacks. Instead of getting the ball out to a target or simply throwing it away, Sanders would drift backwards and find himself in trouble instead of stepping up in the pocket.
While Sanders looked comfortable vs. Carolina, he looked quite the opposite vs. Los Angeles. When it appeared he would have a chance to lead a game-winning drive with two minutes left in the game, Sanders was actually pulled by coach Kevin Stefanski for Huntley.
“Obviously we didn’t play great as an offense in the second half,” Stefanski said when asked about Sanders’ benching. “That’s never on one person, so we can be better in a bunch of areas and just felt like we wanted to give [Huntley] a last drive.”
Has Dillon Gabriel locked up the QB2 role?
After missing the Browns’ first preseason matchup, Gabriel got the start in Week 2 of the exhibition season. In a 22-13 victory against the Eagles, the former Oregon quarterback standout completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The pick-six may headline Gabriel’s first NFL action to some people, but it was overall a solid outing. He ran the offense and was mostly decisive with the football. There weren’t any “wow” plays, but it was a decent start.
The preseason finale was different for Gabriel, as he gave fans a glimpse at why he was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. Gabriel completed 12 of 19 passes for a team-high 129 yards and one touchdown. That included an 11-play, 86-yard touchdown drive with two minutes remaining in the first half.
Gabriel wasn’t blessed with some of the physical gifts other star quarterbacks have, but if he’s someone who can make good decisions and take what the defense gives him, he could have a future in this league.
NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported that Flacco never really got pushed by Cleveland’s other quarterbacks over the past few months. It makes you wonder how much of a quarterback battle this really was.
It’s easy to surmise that Sanders ended the preseason on a low note while Gabriel did just the opposite, but if you’re wondering who would come off the bench first to replace Flacco, it’s likely the quarterback that was selected in the third round as opposed to the fifth round.