The Browns made an interesting acquisition this offseason, orchestrating a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett.
Pickett enters his fourth year in the NFL after being a first-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his original rookie contract will expire following the upcoming campaign.
His contract has a fifth-year team option built in, allowing Cleveland to retain his services for 2026 at a premium price.
Cleveland faces a deadline this week to pick up his final year, and Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot says the organization has made its decision not to pick it up.
“The deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options on first-round picks from 2022 is Thursday. It’s no great surprise that the Browns won’t pick it up, because Pickett’s amount for 2026 would be $22.117 million, the Basic or lowest tier in the system,” Cabot said.
Cleveland’s decision is likely based on the team’s salary cap situation.
The Browns were able to reduce some of the cap hit that injured starter Deshaun Watson had on the squad for the upcoming season by reworking his contract.
Still, the organization will need to make moves ahead of the 2026 season due to its financial restraints.
Pickett will be among the four quarterbacks Cleveland has on its roster heading into the preseason, joining veteran Joe Flacco and two rookies – Gabriel Dillon and Shedeur Sanders – to compete for the Browns’ starting role this fall.
He has some experience to draw upon, having started 25 games in his NFL career over the past three seasons.
The 6-foot-3 signal-caller is 15-10 as a professional, having completed over 62 percent of his passes for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions since 2022.
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