It's been a month since NFL free agency began, and it's safe to say the league already looks significantly different than it did at the end of the 2024 campaign.
Since the offseason began, teams around the league have spent a lot of time and resources shaking up their rosters through trades and free agency. The Philadelphia Eagles aren't an exception after winning Super Bowl 59, with general manager Howie Roseman doing whatever it takes to ensure next season's roster is good enough to compete for another title.
One of Roseman's early offseason moves saw the Eagles trade quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for fellow QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-rounder. With Deshaun Watson's 2025 outlook unclear, many people have projected Pickett to be the Browns' starting signal-caller come Week 1.
At least, that was until the Browns' latest offseason decision.
Ex-Eagles QB Kenny Pickett Fight for Job After Browns Sign Joe Flacco
On Friday, the Browns announced that they've signed veteran QB Joe Flacco for the 2025 season. The former Super Bowl MVP has been a fan favorite in Cleveland since the Browns' 2023-24 postseason appearance and just spent the last season with the Indianapolis Colts.
WE GOT A FEVER 🥵
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 11, 2025
We have agreed to terms with QB Joe Flacco » https://t.co/0pa62swIox pic.twitter.com/Kmb9ak3uos
Browns fans never wanted Flacco to leave Cleveland, meaning his signing is more than welcomed by the fanbase. Having said that, the 40-year-old gunslinger's contract news likely means bad news for his teammate and former Eagles QB.
Unlike Pickett, Flacco already has experience with head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns HC put his complete faith in the former 2008 first-rounder late in the 2023 campaign when Watson went down with a season-ending injury, and it ended up being a move that paid off.
Flacco led the Browns to an impressive 4-1 record while averaging a career-high 323.3 passing yards per game in five starts. He also completed 60.3% of his passes for 13 touchdowns (to eight interceptions) and a 90.2 passer rating, outperforming Watson despite having not signed with the Browns until late November. He's since thrown for 1,761 yards, 12 TDs, seven INTs, and a 90.5 passer rating in six starts with the Colts.
Flacco's familiarity with Stefanski combined with his NFL track record could give him the edge over Pickett.
Although the Oakhurst, NJ native has youth on his side, Pickett's performances have been trending in the wrong direction since his rookie year. His Eagles tenure wasn't anything to write home about as he only completed 59.1% of passes for 291 yards, a pair of TDs to one INT, and an 86.5 passer rating in one start across five appearances.
With that being said, Pickett's path to starting for the Browns won't get easier going forward. Not only does Flacco present a new training camp challenge, but the former Eagles QB will also likely need to deal with a rookie passer coming out of the draft, whether that's a first-round prospect or someone taken in a later round.
The Eagles and Browns won't play each other in 2025, meaning Philly fans must wait at least another year before being reunited with Pickett. Whether he's proven that he still deserves to be with the Browns at that point remains to be seen.