The Detroit Lions could be in the market for another quarterback. Though Jared Goff is coming off a fantastic 2024 campaign and proved why he is one of the better signal-callers in football, the team may look to bring in some competition for Hendon Hooker at the No.2 quarterback role.
Hooker has some promise, but he is incredibly inexperienced, and it is unknown whether he could carry the load if something were to happen to Goff.
For that reason, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin predicts the Lions will trade for Cleveland Browns signal-caller Kenny Pickett to compete with Hooker as the backup quarterback.
"No more than two months after the Cleveland Browns sent a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Pickett as 2025 competition, the ex-Steelers prospect already feels as if he's on the fringe of the roster, thanks to the draft's dual addition of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Unless one of those two rookies is stashed on the scout team, Pickett might be better off bouncing to Detroit in another trade, where the Lions could use a more experienced No. 2 behind Jared Goff. Dan Campbell would like his grit," Benjamin wrote.
Pickett was traded to the Browns earlier in the offseason, and it's not that outlandish to think that Cleveland could move the 26-year-old just months after acquiring him. The team added two quarterbacks in the draft, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and signed Joe Flacco.
The Browns also declined to pick up Pickett's fifth-year option, meaning he will hit the free agency market next offseason and is likely not in their long-term plans.
Though Pickett isn't a starting-caliber player, the former first-round pick has started 25 games in his three-year career so far and played decent for the Philadelphia Eagles when called upon in 2024. He would be a solid backup behind Goff and add some more starting experience to Detroit's quarterback room.
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Additionally, acquiring Pickett in a trade with the Browns shouldn't cost too much, especially with how crowded Kevin Stefanski's quarterback room is right now. A late Day 3 pick in 2026 should be enough to get a deal done.
With the selections of Gabriel and Sanders, Pickett has become expendable. If Cleveland decides to trade him, Dan Campbell and the Lions would be an intriguing landing spot for the Pittsburgh product.
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