Cleveland Browns Decline Kenny Pickett Contract Option After Drafting Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders

With a crowded quarterback room, the Cleveland Browns are declining a $22.117 million fifth-year option salary for quarterback Kenny Pickett in 2026 according to Cleveland.com reporter Mary Kay Cabot.

This is not a surprising move, considering the Browns do not know if the 26-year-old Pickett will be their starter after selecting former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Now, Pickett is scheduled for free agency in 2026 and owed a fully guaranteed $2.62M in 2025. Pickett was a Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick in 2022 and the option went with him when he was traded to the Eagles and then the Browns. Last season with Philadelphia, Pickett saw limited playing time behind starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Pickett made five appearances and one start, completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Browns are in a very unique situation with four quarterbacks expected to vie for starting quarterback. With Deshaun Watson sidelined by injury, 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders will all compete. Watson could miss all of next season with the Achilles injury.

Gabriel can't wait.

"This is the fun part for me," Gabriel said after getting drafted to Cleveland. "Getting in the building and be able to get to work and get to that process. . . that's where I thrive."

With no clear front runner as of now, Cleveland's offseason activities and mini camps will be very interesting in regards to the pecking order.

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Why did the Browns add Sanders in the fifth round after already drafting Gabriel?

"We talk oftentimes about quarterback being the most important position in the sport," Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said. "We obviously spent a lot of time with Shedeur throughout the process. He's highly accurate, can play well from the pocket, very productive college career. It wasn't necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but as we talk about, we do believe in best player available. We do believe in positional value, and we didn't necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round."

The Browns' quarterback play has been a major weakness and both Sanders and Gabriel have a shot to earn starting reps.. The Browns finished the season with a 3-14 season and have not reached the playoffs since 2023. They have had just four winning seasons this century. 

"We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there, we felt like that was the appropriate thing to do," Berry said.

Since getting drafted to the cold-weather Cleveland organization, a video has gone viral of Gabriel talking about how much he loves to play in the sun. For context the video was taken right before the Rose Bowl on a sunny December day.

"I'm so glad you asked. In my neck of the woods in Hawaii it rained a bunch. I was in the most center part of the island so I was playing a lot of wet, Friday night games. But then I got to college I played in the most heat you could in Florida, in Orlando. And then, in Norman, probably the most bipolar weather you could have. I've thrown in tornados, fun fact. Then I go to Eugene and have a little drizzle consistently. So, for me, weather, it's part of the game it's what makes it fun. Cold, I'm excited for it," Gabriel said.

The 5-11, 205-pound quarterback led the Ducks to a 13-1 overall record and a Big Ten Conference title in 2024. Gabriel finished 30 touchdowns plus six interceptions on 3,857 yards with a 72.9 completion rate. He also collected 149 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 75 carries.

"Very accurate, very poised, throws with anticipation, good mobility," Berry said about Gabriel. "Really well rounded game. Doesn't have ideal height but that's not something we thought showed up in his game."

It's an exciting time for Gabriel, who has a chance to earn a starting role in the NFL.