Kevin Stefanski shares true feelings on Kenny Pickett after Joe Flacco gets QB1 job

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Joe Flacco would be the starting quarterback. The battle to be the Browns' backup quarterback was won by Kenny Pickett, who beat rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to the role.

According to Stefanski, Pickett was performing really well before the "unfortunate" hamstring injury derailed his progress to some extent.

"I know what he's (Kenny Pickett) about, how he was performing," the head coach said. "The injury was unfortunate, but it hasn't stopped him from being engaged, from knowing what is going on. He is getting as much work as you can right now. He has performed really, really well."

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This means that there might still be a future for Pickett with the Browns and as a starting quarterback in the NFL, a role that Pickett held for two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The hamstring injury he sustained did not help his quest to become the starter in Week 1. But, according to Stefanski, this quest is not over, and he could still be the starter during the season, especially if Joe Flacco struggles in the role.

Browns insider on Kenny Pickett's role

Kevin Stefanski's statement on Kenny Pickett has been supported by Browns Insider Mary Kay Cabot, who on Thursday gave more information about the decision-making behind the trade to bring Pickett to the team earlier this year.

“The Browns brought (Pickett) in here to challenge for the starting job and be their bridge quarterback until one of their young guys was ready," Cabot said. "They didn’t sign Joe until April 11th. It was deep into free agency when they added Joe to the roster. You don’t do that if you think that guy is going to be your starting quarterback.

"Heading into off-season programs, Kenny Pickett was QB1. I think he was firmly in the mix to start Week 1 along with Joe for the most part until he suffered the hamstring injury. Absolutely, that was the plan for him to come in and really make a run at that starting job."

This suggests that Kenny Pickett was the Browns guy before Joe Flacco came into the picture.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

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Edited by Krutik Jain