Ever since Deshaun Watson’s guaranteed $220M deal, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has rarely been straightforward, and this year has been no exception. Even though Kevin Stefanski officially named Joe Flacco as the Week 1 starter against the Bengals last night, the depth chart still looks unsettled. Injuries, draft investments, and looming long-term questions have combined to make this one of the most unpredictable QB rooms in the league.
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But with the 40-year-old announced as the numero uno, there should be a temporary respite, right? Well, not exactly, as an additional wrinkle may now be emerging.
As per NFL Insider Aditi Kinkhabwala, there are undisclosed teams in the league already inquiring about trades involving the Browns’ quarterbacks, including Kenny Pickett and even Joe Flacco himself.
“I was chatting with an offensive coach in the NFL just last night who was asking me about Kenny Pickett as a trade object. And I do think, and not just Pickett, it could be Flacco,” Kinkhabwala said.
She added that, with several teams in the league unhappy with their quarterback situations, it’s possible they could turn to the Browns’ crowded playmaking room for solutions.
“If you look around the league right now, there are still some unsettled quarterback situations. There are still some teams that potentially aren’t totally satisfied with their quarterback rooms. There’s a very good chance that Andrew Berry and the Browns are going to be fielding phone calls for any and all of these quarterbacks,” Kinkhabwala explained.
Browns. Preparing to Trade a QB
“I was chatting with an offensive coach in the NFL who was asking me about Kenny Pickett as a trade object” https://t.co/tGhhVYQOvy pic.twitter.com/ABxSSjmv2H
— JaKi (@JaKiTruth) August 18, 2025
On the surface level, a report like this, especially one that links Flacco away, seems highly unlikely. But the Browns’ present depth chart tells a different story.
For starters, Flacco, 40, has taken almost all the first-team reps in training camp. Pickett, entering his fourth season, has been hampered by a hamstring injury.
As far as the rookies are concerned, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel showed promise against the Eagles but also dealt with injuries, and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders impressed the most versus the Panthers before being sidelined with an oblique issue.
Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, remains on the PUP list as he recovers from his Achilles injury, and expectations are that he won’t return for most of the season.
This leaves Cleveland with a peculiar mix of veteran steadiness, untapped rookie upside, and lingering uncertainty. While having plenty of options is usually a good position to be in, this numbers game, as Kinkhabwala noted earlier, may soon force Andrew Berry’s hand.
Because Stefanski himself recently admitted that roster realities might dictate difficult choices. “We’ll let it play out as we get closer to the cut down,” he said. “Those are all conversations that we are always having, but those are tough decisions. You know, I’d like to keep everybody, but not realistic.”
And amidst this chaos, there is also a subplot about owner Jimmy Haslam wanting Sanders and Gabriel to be tested this season itself. Why? Because with two first-round picks in 2026 and what’s projected to be a strong quarterback draft class, the Browns’ leadership knows the evaluation clock is ticking.
So this pressure, combined with outside demand for quarterbacks, sets the stage for Andrew Berry to consider trade calls. But until then, Joe Flacco is locked in as QB1.
