Browns' Kenny Pickett fires warning shot to Joe Flacco, potential rookie QB

While the Cleveland Browns reportedly acquired Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason to give him a legitimate chance to win their starting quarterback job, Pickett realized even before Cleveland brought fan-favorite Joe Flacco back to the organization that he'd have to compete with a veteran and a to-be-drafted rookie.

Over the weekend, Pickett spoke with Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and hinted he remains confident he'll be Cleveland's Week 1 starter this coming September. 

"That’s the plan, man (to start). I’m not going there to hang out," Pickett directly said. "I want to go play. I’m excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time." 

Pickett hasn't been a first-choice starter since he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2023 season. The club that made him a first-round draft pick in the spring of 2022 signed Russell Wilson to a team-friendly deal in March 2024 and then quickly granted Pickett's trade request by sending him to Philadelphia. 

Meanwhile, Flacco guided the 2023 Browns to a postseason berth en route to winning the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. However, the Indianapolis Colts more recently relegated the Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player back to QB2 duties after he played poorly across a pair of starts this past fall. 

"I’ve heard nothing but great things about Joe," Pickett said about Flacco. "I’ve been watching him since I was 10 years old. Total respect for Joe, what he’s done, and I’m excited to get to work with him, too."

Flacco turned 40 years old this past January and, thus, isn't a long-term answer for any team at this stage of his career. He'll likely begin training camp as the favorite to win the starting job largely because of his familiarity with the offense run by head coach Kevin Stefanski, but he'll also be tasked with mentoring both Pickett (26 years old) and likely a first-year pro the Browns are expected to pick up at some point during the upcoming draft. 

Browns general manager Andrew Berry seems to hope the combination of Flacco and Stefanski can help Pickett become the best version of his playing self over the next handful of months. If such a scenario plays out, Cleveland could have two promising young quarterbacks on its roster when January arrives.