Well, yeah, the idea of paying Kenny Pickett $22.1 million to play quarterback in 2026 is laughable. Pickett is now part of a four-headed battle in training camp between himself, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Joe Flacco to make the Browns. We’ll see if Pickett makes the roster, but it may be more about how well the rookies play than anything he does in camp or the preseason.

Stefanski also added, “Kenny Pickett’s a guy that I believe in.” Well then. The Browns still have next month’s draft to address their quarterback situation and have been rumored to target Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders’ with the No. 2 overall pick. There’s a good chance Stefanski is just trying to say the right things in front of the cameras as the team continues to iron out its draft plans. For a coach who should very much be on the hot seat entering 2025, it’s hard to imagine Stefanski wanting to enter the season with Pickett, whose career line of 4,765-15-14 in 30 career games leaves much to be desired.

With All-Pro confidence, Pickett, who was recently acquired from the Eagles, said he’ll be ready to “compete with whoever” the Browns bring in at quarterback this offseason. The former first-rounder threw for 291-2-1 in limited action with the Eagles last season, with his most notable game coming in a Week 17 outing against the Cowboys. Pickett got the start against a woeful defense and threw for 143-1-0 on 15 pass attempts while also rushing for a score. He’ll almost certainly get a chance to compete for the Browns’ QB1 job this offseason, but if they take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick next month, Pickett won’t be long for a starting job at his new home.