The Cleveland Browns have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in return for a 2026 fifth-round NFL Draft pick.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll had been seeking a back-up to Geno Smith after Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured wrist during their 20-10 pre-season defeat at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, moving for 27-year-old Pickett as a more experienced alternative to 2025 sixth-round pick Cam Miller.
The Raiders start their NFL season at the New England Patriots on Sunday (13:00 ET / 10:00 PT), when the Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Kenny Pickett stats
Pickett joins quarterback Sam Howell as the only players during the last 30 years to have been traded three times inside four years, according to NFL Plus.
A first-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, Pickett joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, then the Browns in March 2025 in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Pittsburgh gave him 25 starts for a 15-10 record. “Cam hasn’t played much in the league, so we’re looking for an experienced guy who can help us,” Carroll explained on Monday.
“We’re looking everywhere for the best guy who fits us. I don’t want to show our hand but we want someone who’s played – that’s what’s important. A guy who has game experience is huge to me.”
Las Vegas Raiders squad
The Raiders waived 14 players on Monday and released Marquez Callaway, Phillip Dorsett II, Collin Johnson and Jaylon Smith.
Asked what Miller needs to become a starter, Carroll said two years of experience would help. “Cam’s made some good plays,” he added.
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“He’s tough and he shows a knack for playing the spot but he just needs a ton more plays. We’d like to buy some more time with him, as much as we can.”
Cleveland Browns quarterbacks
The trade could represent good news for Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback attempts to establish himself at the Browns.
Sanders and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel will back up Joe Flacco, with Pickett’s departure something of a surprise after general manager Andrew Berry had suggested starting the season with four quarterbacks was “an opportunity”.
“We have a room that we like all the guys in there,” Berry said last week. “We don’t really see that as a problem.”
