The Las Vegas Raiders encountered a need for a veteran backup over the weekend and found one in a former first-round pick.
The Cleveland Browns are trading quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Monday evening.
Taken 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft, Pickett is being traded for the third time in his career and joins Sam Howell, who was sent from the Minnesota Vikings to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as the only players over the last 30 seasons to be traded three or more times within their first four NFL seasons, per NFL Research.
Las Vegas wasn't in the market for a quarterback during the preseason until Aidan O'Connell suffered a fractured wrist in the Raiders' preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, ruling him out for at least six weeks. Suddenly, the Raiders needed a capable veteran to slot behind Geno Smith.
They found a willing trade partner in the Browns, hosts of a four-quarterback camp battle royale that never lived up to the billing before Joe Flacco was named the starter.
Arriving in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pickett was an early favorite in Cleveland's competition but suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him long enough for Flacco to take a commanding lead. Every other quarterback on Cleveland's roster (Flacco, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and veteran Tyler Huntley) participated in a preseason game except for Pickett, who will now trade brown and orange for silver and black.
He'll attempt to learn the Raiders' offense as quickly as possible and prepare to back up Smith in Las Vegas, while Cleveland will move forward with Flacco and its two rookie signal-callers.
