The weight of the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback history hangs heavy over Berea – a legacy dotted with flashes of hope often dimmed by instability. Since their 1999 return, the Dawg Pound has witnessed over 30 different starters under center, a revolving door of auditions searching for the next Sipe or Kosar.
“It’s safe to say this will be a rebuild type of year for the Cleveland Browns,” declared Bryant McFadden on 92.3 The Fan, setting the tone for 2025. “Because they have so many question marks concerning the team, especially on the offensive side. But hopefully throughout this season, some of those questions can be answered.”
One of the biggest question marks wears #1 in practice. Kenny Pickett’s career stats tell a story of promise yet unfulfilled: 30 games (25 starts), 4,765 yards, 15 TDs against 14 INTs, a modest 79.3 passer rating, and 306 rushing yards with 5 scores. His 2024 stint backing up Jalen Hurts in Philly?
“It’s safe to say this will be a rebuild-type of year for the Browns. There’s no expectations for anyone that’s competing for that No. 1 (QB) job.”
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Just 291 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and one crucial Super Bowl ring earned from the sidelines. Now, traded to Cleveland and with his fifth-year option declined, Pickett arrives on an expiring contract. This season isn’t just another chapter; it’s the epilogue of his starting QB aspirations unless he rewrites it himself.
“Is there any chance Kenny Pickett can be one of those answers? Yeah, he has a shot,” McFadden conceded. “I don’t see why not. It’s a wide open competition.” But that glimmer of opportunity comes with a stark reality check. “For Kenny Pickett to be able to capitalize on that shot, he has to play better football than he’s ever played in his professional life, in my opinion.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski, the architect tasked with rebuilding the offense after a dismal 3–14 campaign, is deliberately tempering the atmosphere around this QB battle. He’s publicly praised Pickett’s intelligence, accuracy, toughness, and fit within his cherished play-action system, calling him a “gym rat” who works “extremely hard.”
Yet, the overarching message from the top down is one of managed expectations. Stefanski isn’t demanding fireworks; he’s seeking competence and growth within his structure. This isn’t about chasing ghosts of franchise greats or mimicking current elites. It’s about finding a solution, not the solution.“There’s no expectations for Kenny Pickett,” McFadden emphasized, echoing the lowered bar Stefanski is setting.
No Mahomes, No Allen—Just a final shot at survival for Kenny Pickett
“Hey, there’s no expectations for anyone that’s competing for that QB one job in Cleveland. Let’s keep it real. So either guy, all the guys should be extremely comfortable because they’re walking into a situation where no one is expecting them to play like Pat Mahomes. No one is expecting him to lead like Josh Allen. So just be comfortable and take advantage.”
This lack of external pressure is the double-edged sword of Cleveland’s “rebuild-type” year. It offers Pickett breathing room, a chance to reset without the deafening roar of immediate Super Bowl demands. He enters camp battling Joe Flacco’s veteran savvy and the raw potential of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Early OTAs saw him taking first-team reps, absorbing Stefanski’s system, showing flashes of chemistry with targets like Jamari Thrash, but lacking that definitive “pop” needed to seize the job outright. Reports called his spring “solid,” even “underwhelming” compared to the hype surrounding Sanders. Like a ‘Madden rookie rating’ needing constant upgrades, Pickett’s performance needs a significant in-season boost.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 12, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett 8 throws a pass during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250612_kab_bk4_005
“But for Kenny Pickett, it’s safe to say, guys, this is his last opportunity to show that he could be a starting quarterback in the National Football League,” McFadden stated plainly, cutting to the heart of Pickett’s ultimatum. “Because the race is so wide open.”
The path isn’t completely foreign. Pickett possesses the clutch gene, evidenced by his back-to-back game-winning TD drives as a Steelers rookie – a feat no other rookie QB had ever accomplished. He carries the legacy of rewriting the record books at Pitt (12,303 yds, 81 TDs) and literally changing the NCAA rulebook with his infamous ‘fake slide‘ touchdown. He’s got the toughness Stefanski covets and the mobility to execute bootlegs and even the occasional ‘Brotherly Shove‘ style TD, as he showed in Philly.
Cleveland offers the stage, Stefanski offers the system designed for his skills, and circumstance offers a final, pressure-filled audition. The expectations are low, but the stakes for Kenny Pickett couldn’t be higher. He doesn’t need to be Mahomes or Allen in 2025. He just needs to be the best version of Kenny Pickett the NFL has ever seen, or risk becoming just another name on that long, long list of Cleveland QB hopefuls who flashed, but ultimately faded. The ultimatum is clear: seize this wide-open shot, or the door to being an NFL starter likely closes for good.
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