The Cleveland Browns did move on from one of their quarterbacks.
Trading Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders was a slightly surprising move, considering how much they raved about him.
Then again, it also seems to be the right move for all parties, and insider Tony Grossi praised the Browns for that decision.
“[The trade] makes perfect sense for the Browns, for Kenny Pickett, and for Dillon Gabriel, who has earned the respect of the coaches and his teammates to enter the season as the No. 2 quarterback, first in line behind Joe Flacco. What does this mean about QB3? Will the Browns trust Shedeur Sanders in that role, or might they bring back Tyler Huntley? I don’t know. But they feel like they’re in competent hands with Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Good move for (general manager) Andrew Berry. It unclogs this quarterback logjam. I think it continues the positivity of this Browns preseason,” Grossi said.
“Will the Browns trust Shedeur Sanders in that role?” – @TonyGrossi reacts to what the Kenny Pickett trade means for the QB room going forward 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/O2qkIDOK4r
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 26, 2025
Pickett was supposed to be in the mix to be the starter, but he failed to overtake Flacco, in large part because he missed the preseason with a hamstring injury.
Gabriel proved to be ahead of schedule and in control of the offense, and the coaching staff felt confident about the rookie in the backup role.
As for Sanders, they clearly still aren’t fully sold on him and believe he’s got more work to do.
There’s a chance all three quarterbacks will take the field at some point this season.
Flacco was always the right choice to be the starter, as he was already familiar with the offense and is a proven veteran, not to mention that the Browns will face a tough schedule to start the season.
But if things don’t work out, they shouldn’t hesitate to move on from him and play one of the rookies.
As for Pickett, the Raiders will be his fourth team in as many seasons in the NFL, and he will likely be the backup to Geno Smith.
NEXT: Browns Could Make Surprise Deshaun Watson Move
