Browns HC explains surprising quarterback decision

Members of the NFL community were surprised to learn on Monday that the Cleveland Browns had agreed to trade presumed backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. 

While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the transaction that resulted in rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel becoming Cleveland's new QB2.

"Got a strong offer for Kenny," Stefanski told reporters, as shared by the Browns' website. "Kenny’s a guy I think very highly of, and so do they. So, I wish him well. He’s a great person. He’s a really good football player, but those are the type of decisions that you have to make."

The Browns acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles before Cleveland brought fan-favorite Joe Flacco back to the organization during the offseason. While Pickett was supposed to compete for the Browns' starting job, he went down with a hamstring injury on July 26 that kept him from participating in any preseason games. 

Flacco is now on track to start Cleveland's Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.

"Definitely disappointed for Kenny in that he was out for all that time," Stefanski acknowledged. "Like I told you guys, he performed well prior to that, remained engaged all throughout that. So disappointed for him, but he’s somebody that I think very highly of."

Meanwhile, Gabriel completed 12-of-19 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in Cleveland's preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Rams this past Saturday. To compare, fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders took five sacks and completed 3-of-6 pass attempts for 14 yards against the Rams. 

"It’s such an all-encompassing evaluation," Stefanski said about naming Gabriel the club's primary backup for the Cincinnati contest. "So, everything the guys did in the games was important. We also saw a lot of them out here in practice and how they are at their craft. And he’s certainly somebody that we think is getting better and better."

Regardless of opinions shared by outsiders, Stefanski and Co. have clearly trusted Gabriel more than Sanders since the start of springtime workouts. Barring an injury or another unexpected development, Gabriel will now find himself in a position where he could be a play away from facing a live defense in a meaningful game at Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field on the first Sunday of September.