Kenny Pickett says his year in Philadelphia prepared him to compete to start in Cleveland

Kenny Pickett is heading into his fourth NFL season and playing on his third NFL team as he competes for the starting quarterback job in Browns camp. And he says spending last year in Philadelphia is what prepared him best for the opportunity he has in Cleveland.

Asked about lessons from his time in Pittsburgh that are benefiting him in Cleveland, Pickett said that it’s actually his time in Philadelphia that really helped.

“There’s more similarities to Philly’s system,” Pickett said. “A lot of the concepts are the same and the teaching is the same. . . . I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly. I was shown how it’s supposed to be done, really, from the top down. So you get a chance to see what it’s supposed to look like and how it should look on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays. I think it will pay dividends for me in my future.”

That answer has been taken by some as a shot at the Steelers, although Pickett didn’t say anything negative about the Steelers, who drafted him in the first round in 2022 before trading him to the Eagles a year ago. But Pickett said his weekly preparation in Philadelphia, even though he was backing up Jalen Hurts, did a lot to help him understand what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

“When I was in Philly I would prepare as if I was the starter, because you never know when that opportunity is going to come to play,” Pickett said.

Pickett said the Browns’ Organized Team Activities have been a good split of reps among all four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, and that he’s working well with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. He also worked well with Jalen Hurts last year, and he thinks that if he becomes the Browns’ starter, he’ll have that year to credit for his growth as a quarterback.