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Kenny Pickett is in the mix to start for the Cleveland Browns at quarterback.
The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of a crowded quarterback competition, and one prominent insider believes there could be turbulence ahead if the team chooses Kenny Pickett as the Week 1 starter.
Pickett is battling with veteran Joe Flacco, as well as rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel for the starting job. While all four are technically in the mix, most signs point toward a decision between Pickett and Flacco.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com noted that starting Flacco offers the Browns more flexibility early in the season, particularly if things don’t go smoothly.
“Kenny Pickett, first of all, he’s still learning the terminology, he’s still learning how to hone his pocket presence, he’s still learning under center stuff. So it’s not automatic for him and it’s not natural for him yet,”Cabot said on the “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast. “If you start Joe Flacco, it’s either going to go well and you can continue on with it. If it doesn’t go well, you put Kenny Pickett in there. If you start Kenny Pickett and it doesn’t go well for him, people are going to be clamoring for Joe Flacco like crazy.”
Joe Flacco Had Successful Stint With Browns
The scenario isn’t unfamiliar in Cleveland. The Browns faced similar concerns last season when Deshaun Watson returned. Some worried that fans would call for Flacco — who had played well in Watson’s absence — if the $230 million quarterback struggled.
Flacco has not been a full-time starter since 2017 but remains a steady veteran presence. He went 4-1 for the Browns down the stretch in 2023, helping secure a playoff berth. Flacco earned Comeback Player of the Year, passing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Cabot thinks the experience Flacco has with the Browns and Kevin Stefanski will aid him in winning the job out of the gate.
“I think he’s going to look really good in training camp because he does have a head start in this system,” Cabot noted. “The coaching staff knows him. You can almost just plug in Jerry Jeudy as mini (Amari) Cooper. And I think that the offensive linemen, they already love him. So I really do think he’s going to look good in this setting because the style of football that they’re playing right now, the Kevin Stefanski style, it just plays to Joe Flacco’s strengths.”
Joe Flacco Trusting Process With Browns
A four-man quarterback competition presents challenges, particularly when it comes to splitting reps. The Browns are aiming for a strategic distribution, though it may not be entirely equal.
With more than 200 career starts, Flacco is a known commodity, which could result in a lighter workload during camp. Still, the veteran remains fully invested and has voiced his trust in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s process.
“I don’t know what the plan is exactly, but I trust Kevin and that he has a plan for all of this,”
Flacco said. “That’s really all I can do. I’d love to go out there and take 120 reps a day, get in a groove and do all those things, but like I said, the coaches have a plan. Kevin has a plan, and my job is just to trust that, go out there and do the best I can.”
The Browns kick off training camp on July 22.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
