There were rumors that the Cleveland Browns would keep four QBs on their active 53-man roster. On Monday, the Browns made a smart decision by trading away one of those players.Â
NFL insiders announced that the Browns traded QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick. Las Vegas’ backup Aidan O’Connell suffered a wrist injury and will start the year on the IR. Head coach Pete Carroll wanted to add a QB with experience. Kenny Pickett provides that for the Raiders in 2025. He’ll be Geno Smith’s backup.
Kenny Pickett is now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders
Browns trading QB Kenny Pickett to Raiders for 2026 5th-round pick. (via @RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/f4gYIwM7zr
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2025
With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Steelers selected QB Kenny Pickett out of the University of Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old played his first two seasons with the Steelers. Appearing in 25 games and making 24 starts, going 14-10 for Pittsburgh. Following the 2023 season, the Steelers traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was Jalen Hurts’ backup in 2024 and made one start for the team.
Pickett won a Super Bowl with the Eagles and was traded to the Browns in March 2025. After spending most of the offseason with Cleveland, Pickett was recently traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. He is one of two players in the last 30 years to be traded three or more times in their first four seasons. After Monday’s trade, Kenny Pickett is heading West to play for Las Vegas.
Trade: Browns are sending QB Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, per sources.
Raiders needed another backup for Geno Smith with QB Aidan O’Connell fracturing his wrist in the preseason finale and being expected to miss 6-8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/BdoWHD5aBF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025
Raiders backup QB Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured right wrist in the preseason finale. He’s set to miss at least six to eight weeks and will begin the season on the IR. The Raiders needed a quality backup QB for Geno Smith, and they turned to a team with depth at that posistion. Kenny Pickett was one of four QBs Cleveland had this offseason.
On July 26, Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring. He had been sitting out all preseason for Cleveland. His former head coach, Kevin Stefanski, previously said he expected Pickett to be available for Week 1. The Las Vegas Raiders open the 2025 season on the road in Week 1 vs. the New England Patriots. Kenny Pickett will be Geno Smith’s backup while Aidan O’Connell is out with a wrist injury.