Raiders Projected Quarterback Depth Chart After Kenny Pickett Trade

The Cleveland Browns traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Cleveland Browns traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders shook up their quarterback room on Monday and likely have an entirely new depth chart as a result.

Las Vegas landed Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Browns will receive a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

A trade became likely when Raiders' backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell fractured his wrist in the team's final preseason game. O'Connell will miss six to eight weeks, opening up a spot behind starter Geno Smith.

The Browns acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, and his stay in the city was short. He'll leave what was a four-man battle for playing time and likely walk into a defined role with the Raiders.

Updated Raiders Quarterabck Room After Kenny Pickett Trade

Kenny Pickett
Geno Smith
Aidan O'Connell
Cam Miller

Updated Raiders Quarterback Depth Chart After Trade for Kenny Pickett

String

QB

Starter

Geno Smith

2nd

Kenny Pickett

3rd

Aidan O'Connell

4th

Cam Miller

Smith is obviously set to be the starter after the Raiders sent a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to Seattle to land him, then signed him to a two-year, $75 million contract extension.

Las Vegas will need to have a 53-man roster by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and it's unlikely Cam Miller would have made the team had O'Connell not been injured. His absence likely means Miller will remain, at least for the time being. It is exceedingly rare for a team to carry four quarterbacks on its active roster.

The Raiders selected Miller with a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft (No. 215) after a decorated career at North Dakota State. He won two FCS titles with the Bison and was the championship game MVP in 2024 and a first-team FCS All-American.

Pickett will take O'Connell's spot as the team's backup and likely moves him down to third in the pecking order overall.

Kenny Pickett Exits Browns' Crowded Quarterback Room

The Browns acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. After winning a Super Bowl as Jalen Hurts's backup, Pickett was moved to Cleveland to compete for a starting job. His pursuit of that position never got off the ground.

Joe Flacco was signed as the presumed starter shortly after Pickett arrived, then Cleveland selected both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the draft. A training camp injury left Pickett on the outside looking in on a four-way fight for playing time.

Pickett arrives in Las Vegas with a much clearer role.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.