Kenny Pickett has reportedly taken an early lead in the Cleveland Browns' competition for the starting quarterback position as the team heads into the 2025 season. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, it was stated that Pickett is, for all intents and purposes, in the lead over fellow quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on Cleveland's depth chart.

Currently, Sanders finds himself as the fourth-string quarterback and did not receive any 11-on-11 reps during Wednesday's practice, as noted by Cabot. The status of Pickett being viewed as a frontrunner for the starting job comes as a surprise, considering Flacco had initially taken the first-team snaps during Wednesday's organized team activities (OTAs). As the Browns seek a competent and experienced option for Week 1, Pickett and Flacco seem to hold an advantage over their counterparts.

The Browns invested third and fifth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Gabriel and Sanders, respectively. Pickett, on the other hand, was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in a March 12 trade, which involved sending Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round draft choice to Philadelphia. Prior to this trade, Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, where he recorded 4,474 passing yards with 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 25 games. Having served as a backup to Jalen Hurts on a Super Bowl LIX-winning Eagles team in 2024, Pickett expressed gratitude for his tenure in Philadelphia, recognizing the professional standards that he was exposed to during that time. With the Browns' head coach Kevin Stefanski unlikely to make a final decision on the starting position anytime soon, Pickett's performance in OTAs suggests he is off to a promising start.