Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and is expected to miss time.
Pickett suffered the injury during Saturday’s practice. The Browns did not practice on Sunday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news of the injury.
“Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week,” Schefter said. “Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.”
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said it’s possible Pickett could be out weeks, adding that there is no timeline for a return set.
Pickett worked with the first-team offense during camp, as did Flacco. The two rookies, Gabriel and Sanders, have mostly been working with backups. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he wants to decide on a starting quarterback “sooner than later.” He anticipated shaking things up on Monday when the team regroups.
“I think the big thing for me is putting our guys in a position where we can evaluate them. I think they did a great job in the spring,” Stefanski said on the first day of training camp. “All four of those guys, I will continue to put them in some situations, but ultimately, we’d love to make decisions sooner than later.”
Browns QB Kenny Pickett ‘Stellar’ Before Injury
The Browns traded for Pickett in March, bringing the former first-round pick over from the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett was a backup in Philadelphia to Jalen Hurts but he started his career in Pittsburgh. He spent two years as the starter with the Steelers, posting a 14-10 record. He recorded 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in a Steelers uniform.
The early reviews of Pickett’s play in camp were positive.
“His first two days have been stellar,” Browns QB coach Bill Musgrave said. “He had one throw where he was late yesterday and resulted in an interception, which is okay. We don’t want interceptions. But at times we learn a lot from when we stub our toe even more than when we have our triumphs. He’s had his share of triumphs these last two days, especially throwing on the run. Incredibly accurate for just jumping back into camp after us being off for a number of weeks this summer.”
Jerry Jeudy, the Browns’ top receiver, also had some good things to say.
“I think it’s just knowing the plays, he’s just a lot more confident,” Jeudy said. “Being able to have them reps during OTAs, during minicamp, now during camp, it just come natural to him. So he’s a lot more confident out there for sure.”
Kenny Pickett Open Door for Browns Rookies
The injury to Pickett has opened the door for more reps to go around in the Browns’ crowded quarterback room, a boost for Sanders and Gabriel. While Cleveland has yet to release a formal depth chart and maintains that all four quarterbacks remain in the mix for the starting job, the two rookies are still considered long shots due to their limited work with the first-team offense. That will now change with Pickett sidelined.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick, has not taken any first-team reps through OTAs, minicamp or the early days of training camp. Still, he’s staying level-headed.
“I’m not even going to think about that or have that even in my thought process of why it is,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t make me feel down or it doesn’t make me feel left out or anything because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual, and I know what I could bring to this team.”
Cleveland’s first preseason game is on Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Browns QB Kenny Pickett Gets Bad News After Injury Reveal appeared first on Heavy Sports.