The NFL is in a bit of a lull now that the action is on hold until training camps around the league begin next month. The Philadelphia Eagles certainly don't mind some extra time off after winning Super Bowl 59, especially now that head coach Nick Sirianni and his staff have assessed what they have to work with following the 2025 draft and free agency.
With some time to kill before training camp, Eagles fans have recently spent time catching up with the franchise's former players. Some ex-Philadelphia veterans are thriving in their new surroundings, whereas others — including a former quarterback — could be forced to find a new job sooner rather than later.
Former Eagles QB Kenny Pickett Could Lose Browns Job Before Training Camp
The Eagles said goodbye to several players at the start of the NFL offseason, including QB Kenny Pickett. The former 2022 first-rounder was traded to the Cleveland Browns on March 12, resulting in fellow QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-rounder being sent back to the City of Brotherly Love.
The Browns traded for Pickett due to their uncertain situation under center. With Deshaun Watson likely missing all of 2025, Cleveland hoped the 27-year-old would be a reliable arm for HC Kevin Stefanski to call upon. It also helps that Pickett has 25 career starts under his belt and is coming off a championship run in Philly.
Much to his dismay, though, Pickett's outlook worsened fairly quickly after the trade. The Browns went out to reunite with veteran QB Joe Flacco in free agency before using 2025 draft picks on first-year signal-callers Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. The ex-Eagle's path to the starting job was suddenly murkier than ever.
Organized team activities (OTAs) and the Browns' mandatory minicamp rolled around, and Pickett still failed to steal the show. Although his offseason performance was far from horrible, Pickett's pedestrian showing wasn't enough to separate himself from Flacco and his rookie counterparts, potentially putting his future with the team in the air.
Flacco already has experience playing under Stefanski, while Gabriel and Sanders' careers have barely started. In other words, Pickett is the likeliest odd man out of the situation. While a cut won't save money, Spotrac lists the Browns as saving north of $2.6 million by trading him before training camp.
If the Browns are already convinced Pickett won't be useful, either on the field or in the locker room, a trade could be on the horizon. The silver lining is that the ex-Eagles QB at least has a Super Bowl ring that could be enticing to a potential suitor, leaving time to tell where Pickett's career will take him next.