First-round dreams don’t always bloom where they’re planted—but give them fresh soil, and suddenly, they grow. It’s the script we’ve seen in the NFL. Think of Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, who had breakout seasons with different teams. But that’s certainly not the case with Kenny Pickett. A former first-round pick, a Super Bowl champ as well, is now with his third team and still fighting for the starting job. And it’s tough and complicated.
Training camp’s heating up in Berea—and it’s not just the July sun making the Browns‘ quarterbacks sweat. The battle for QB1 is officially underway. And it all began when head coach Kevin Stefanski said, “The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need. Making sure that they have enough — It’s twofold.” It wasn’t just coach-speaking. It was a warning shot. Because four quarterbacks are in the mix, and only one gets the keys.
But let’s be honest—with only so many reps to go around, someone’s getting voted off the island real soon. And somehow, all eyes are targeting Pickett. The Browns will kick off their training camp this Wednesday, and ahead of it, ESPN released the Browns’ 53-man roster projection. And guess who couldn’t make it to the list. Yep, it’s Pickett. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi included Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders in the Browns’ projected quarterback room.
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
The writing is on the wall: Stefanski will cut ties with one of his quarterbacks, and the way things are shaping up, Pickett might be the odd man out. Just this week, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot predicted that “My guess is that Kenny Pickett still has a slight edge in terms of being No. 1 on the depth chart heading into training camp, but that could quickly change.”
The 27-year-old quarterback could enter the camp as QB1, but it’s the 53-man roster we’re talking about. And in Cleveland, things definitely change pretty quickly, especially the quarterbacks. Pickett had a 14-10 record as the Steelers‘ QB1, but the performance wasn’t enough to impress Mike Tomlin to declare him his franchise QB. He got shipped off to Philly last year—won a Super Bowl, yeah, but did it in Jalen Hurts‘ shadow.
That said, with each passing day, the Browns are expected to cut ties with one of their QBs. Is it going to be Kenny Pickett or someone else? We’ve no clue, but as per ESPN’s 53-man roster projection, it’s certainly Pickett. Meanwhile, the Cleveland is reportedly looking to add another signal-caller right after wrapping up the 2025 season.
Jimmy Haslam’s ultimate desire is to draft Arch Manning
When a team drafts a couple of quarterbacks in April, what can a fanbase expect from their team? Well, there are many things, but picking another quarterback the very next year is certainly not one of those things. When the Browns picked Shedeur in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft, many were on board that Colorado Buffaloes product is the ultimate franchise quarterback of a team that has never developed a QB in decades.
But fast forward to now, and the rumor mill is buzzing that the Browns are eyeing another signal-caller in the 2026 NFL draft, probably a replacement for Sanders. Leading the chorus was Pro Football Network‘s Jacob Infante, who predicted that Cleveland could end up with No. 1 draft pick next year to use it on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. But the others shrugged it off and observed that the Browns’ owner, Jimmy Haslam, is planning beyond that.
“The thirst that Jimmy Haslam has for Arch Manning is UNMATCHED,” – @TheRealTRizzo has heard that the Browns owner LOVES him some Arch.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/vEdI9j21Ww
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 21, 2025
If we believe the chatter, Haslam desires to draft Arch Manning, Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew, in 2026. Well, at least, that’s what ESPN Cleveland‘s Tony Rizzo believes. “I know he (Haslam) would not admit it, and I know it’s nothing that they want to talk about, but I’m telling you the thirst that Jimmy Haslam has for Arch Manning is unmatched. Unmatched,” he said. And get this, Rizzo’s point isn’t without merit. In fact, he pointed out Haslam’s connection with Manning family.
“You know the connection. Haslam’s donated a ton of money to Tennessee. They have a good relationship with the Manning family,” he added. Noted. Haslam, a major University of Tennessee booster, is well-known for donating over $100M to his alma mater over the years. And yes, Peyton Manning is one of the most beloved figures in Tennessee history. This isn’t about football anymore. It’s personal if we’re being real, and of course, believing the chatter. We just have to wait to see well this will turn out. After all, it’ll highly depend of this season’s outcome.
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