Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt QB Traded to Raiders

The former Pitt Panthers quarterback was traded for a fifth-round pick.
Mitchell Corcoran|
Dec 4, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) warms up before the ACC championship game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) warms up before the ACC championship game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In this story:

Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH — The Cleveland Browns have traded former Pitt Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round pick, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Aug. 25.

Pickett spent just five months in Cleveland before joining his fourth franchise in as many years.

Pickett was brought in to compete for the starting job with Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. However, a hamstring injury sidelined Pickett for the entire preseason, and he later lost the starting job to Flacco on Aug. 18.

It was expected that Pickett would be Flacco's backup heading into the season after the Browns cut free agent pickup Tyler Huntley on Aug. 24. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also announced on Aug. 24 that Pickett would be healthy for Week 1, but did not name Flacco's backup.

Pickett now joins a Raiders quarterback room of Geno Smith, Aidan O'Connell and rookie Cam Miller. However, O'Connell fractured his wrist in the final preseason game and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass as quarterback Joe Flacco (15)
Jul 23, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass as quarterback Joe Flacco (15) looks on during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pickett's NFL career started when he was drafted 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played in 25 games over two seasons and passed for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was then traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024.

In Philadelphia, Pickett appeared in five games and completed nearly 60% of his passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and and interceptions as the backup to Jalen Hurts en route to the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2024 before being traded to Cleveland in March.

While at Pitt, Pickett played five seasons and led the Panthers to an 11-3 record and an ACC Championship in 2021. In that season, Pickett passed for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 241 yards and five scores.

Pickett finished his college career with 12,303 yards, 81 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He also had 809 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in 52 career games.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

Published
Mitchell Corcoran
MITCHELL CORCORAN

Mitch is a passionate storyteller and college sports fanatic. Growing up 70 miles away in Johnstown, Pa., Mitch has followed Pittsburgh sports all his life. Mitch started his sports journalism career as an undergraduate at Penn State, covering several programs for the student-run blog, Onward State. He previously worked for NBC Sports, The Tribune-Democrat and the Altoona Mirror as a freelancer. Give him a follow on X @MitchCorc18.

Home/News