BEREA, Ohio — In recent times, the NFL has seen quarterbacks drafted excessive flame out with their unique staff however rejuvenate their careers at their second, third — and in some circumstances, fourth — cease.
This summer time, the Cleveland Browns’ seek for a brand new beginning quarterback might cause them to one other reclamation mission: Kenny Pickett, the No. 22 choose of the Pittsburgh Steelers within the 2022 draft. Pickett enters coaching camp later this month as one in every of 4 quarterbacks added this offseason and competing to be the starter, together with Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Within the early days of free company, with a determined want for a quarterback after shuffling via 4 passers final season, the Browns executed a commerce with the Eagles for Pickett, sending Philadelphia a fifth-round choose and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Although Pickett spent the earlier season because the backup to Jalen Hurts with the eventual Tremendous Bowl champions, Browns common supervisor Andrew Berry stated Cleveland focused Pickett early within the offseason.
“[We] really feel like he is a very good decision-maker, he does a extremely good job of defending the ball. He is very cellular, and we predict that his relative strengths are one thing that match nicely with the offense that we’re placing into place for this upcoming yr,” Berry stated on the house owners assembly in late March. “We do assume that there is a fairly credible path for him to proceed to enhance and take a step ahead, and I believe you’ve got seen that with gamers that they get into possibly new or generally possibly higher environments for his or her specific path of their profession.”
Pickett, 27, went 14-10 as a starter in two seasons with the Steelers. However he did not do sufficient to show to Pittsburgh he was its future at quarterback — he threw 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions — and after the signing of Russell Wilson in 2024, Pickett requested a commerce, which the Steelers honored.
Pickett began one recreation final season with the Eagles, however he seen his one-year stint in Philadelphia as helpful.
“I am extraordinarily grateful for my time in Philly. I believe I used to be simply proven the way it’s presupposed to be performed, actually, from the highest down,” Pickett stated throughout organized staff actions. “So if you get an opportunity to see what it is presupposed to appear to be and the way it ought to look on a day-to-day foundation, not simply on Sundays. You realize, I believe it will pay dividends for me sooner or later.”
Whereas coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed the order of follow reps through the offseason exercise program, Pickett obtained a heavy dose of reps with the first-team offense, sharing snaps with Flacco and Gabriel, a third-round choose. Throughout the spring practices, Pickett developed a powerful on-field rapport with high receiver Jerry Jeudy, with whom he additionally skilled within the offseason.
Philadelphia’s offense was extra of a selection system designed to spotlight the dual-threat abilities of Hurts and working again Saquon Barkley’s do-it-all capabilities. The Browns are anticipated to return to the scheme Stefanski ran in his first few seasons as head coach and offensive playcaller, with extra under-center formations that make the most of play-action. Pickett, although, stated there’s loads of overlap conceptually and that the largest transition has been studying the brand new terminology.
“I like how Kenny’s wired,” Stefanski stated throughout obligatory minicamp. “He is a extremely powerful child. After we traded for him, Coach [Pat] Narduzzi known as me straight away and was thrilled as a result of he simply believes in who the younger man is and the way he goes about his enterprise. He is a gymnasium rat. He is one other man that works extraordinarily laborious at his craft. However we’re enthusiastic about his ability set. I am excited concerning the issues that he is been uncovered to in his younger profession already. He is specializing in placing one good day on high of one other.”
Loads of quarterbacks taken with excessive picks have proven that it is doable to bounce again from sluggish begins to their careers, even when it misses latching on with a brand new staff.
Final season, Sam Darnold, the third total choose of the Jets in 2018, threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and was named to his first Professional Bowl with the Minnesota Vikings, three years after New York traded him to the Carolina Panthers. One other extremely drafted former Jets quarterback, Geno Smith, saved his profession as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, being named to consecutive Professional Bowls. And Baker Mayfield, the highest choose of the Browns in 2018, reemerged as a franchise quarterback after his relationship with Cleveland deteriorated. After stints with the Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield discovered a brand new house in Tampa Bay, the place he has led the Buccaneers to the playoffs in every of the previous two seasons.
The Browns opted to not train Pickett’s fifth-year possibility, which might have been value $22 million. This makes it a important season for Pickett, who has a completely assured wage of $2.6 million and will probably be a free agent after the 2025 season. Although Cleveland’s quarterback room is crowded, Pickett finds himself firmly within the combine to be the staff’s starter — and probably flip his profession round.
“I believe it is simply the character of the place the NFL is now, you already know, it takes so much to play quarterback [well], and everybody’s looking for that man,” Pickett stated. “And now I am on this stage of my profession the place I am looking for that place and determine it out. I obtained an opportunity to work with Geno this offseason, and he is an superior man. And I believe that was additionally an incredible expertise for me working with a man like him. …
“I believe it is simply benefiting from my alternative, when it is there. You realize, he bounced round so much, obtained a chance and took off. So nice man, liked working with Geno. So actually simply attempting to benefit from every thing I obtained.”
