The Las Vegas Raiders acquired quarterback Kenny Pickett from the Cleveland Browns in a trade Monday.
The Browns received a 2026 fifth-round pick in return.
Pickett will back up starting quarterback Geno Smith with the Raiders. The transaction comes two days after Aidan O’Connell fractured his right wrist in the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. O’Connell is expected to miss six to eight weeks and likely will be placed on injured reserve.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that the team would explore all possibilities to find a quarterback. Even though the Raiders have rookie Cam Miller on the roster, Carroll wanted to bring in a player with experience.
“A guy that’s had game experience is huge to me,” Carroll said Sunday. “Cam hasn’t played in the league much, so we’re looking for an experienced player that could help us.”
Pickett has played in 30 career games (25 starts) since he was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. He has thrown for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 62.4% of his pass attempts. He is 15-10 as a starter.
After two seasons with the Steelers, Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason and played behind Jalen Hurts. The Browns traded a 2025 fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson for Pickett in March.
Pickett was competing to be the Browns’ starter but didn’t play in the preseason after injuring his hamstring July 26. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had said Sunday that he thought Pickett would be available for Week 1.
Monday’s trade leaves the Browns with two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, behind starter Joe Flacco. Stefanski has not named Flacco’s backup. The team also released Tyler Huntley on Sunday.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report.
