Browns trade Kenny Pickett to Raiders for 2026 fifth-round pick

The Cleveland Browns are not carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster after all, following a stunning trade on Monday night.

The Browns dealt veteran Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round NFL Draft pick.

The Raiders were desperate for a backup quarterback to Geno Smith, whom they traded for earlier this offseason with the Seattle Seahawks to reunite him with his old head coach, Pete Carroll. Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist during the Raiders’ preseason finale, sidelining him for 6–8 weeks.

O’Connell was expected to back up Smith this season, but that lengthy absence forced Las Vegas to look elsewhere. Carroll mentioned wanting someone with starting experience, and the Raiders get that in the fourth-year man out of Pitt.

Pickett has 25 starts under his NFL belt, going 15–10 over that span with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he couldn’t solidify the starting job there, ultimately leading to a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2024 season. It was there that Pickett backed up Jalen Hurts on the Eagles’ way to a Super Bowl LIX victory last season.

BROWNS CUT PRO BOWL QUARTERBACK AS TEAM TRIMS ROSTER AHEAD OF REGULAR SEASON

Pickett was then traded from Philadelphia to Cleveland, as the Browns were assembling their quarterback room with Deshaun Watson sidelined by a torn Achilles. Pickett was competing with veteran Joe Flacco—already named the Week 1 starter by head coach Kevin Stefanski—as well as rookies Dillon Gabriel (third round) and Shedeur Sanders (fifth round).

A hamstring injury suffered early in training camp cost Pickett valuable time to compete for his roster spot. He didn’t play in any of the team’s preseason games, though Stefanski mentioned after the finale against the Los Angeles Rams that he believed Pickett would return in time for Week 1.

With Flacco already locked in as the starter, the question of who Stefanski would choose as the Browns’ backup gained extra attention, especially with the national spotlight on Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. ESPN recently reported that the Browns were preparing to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but the trade changes that entire situation.

Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, brought in after Pickett and Gabriel dealt with early training camp injuries, was reportedly waived by the Browns following his preseason action.

So while Pickett figures to step in as the Raiders’ backup quarterback to start the season, who will sit behind Flacco on the Browns’ depth chart will remain a topic of speculation until Stefanski makes the call.

Sanders strengthened his case with an impressive preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, along with four carries for 19 yards. Injury kept him out of the team’s second game, but he returned in the second half of the finale against the Rams, where he struggled—finishing just 3 of 6 for 14 yards while taking five sacks.

Gabriel, after missing the opener, played in the final two preseason matchups. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Against the Rams, he went 12 of 19 for 129 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the preseason.

The Browns’ roster, along with every other NFL team, must be finalized by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.

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