Philadelphia Eagles trade Jalen Hurts’ backup in quarterback exchange
Quarterback Jalen Hurts will have another new backup in 2025 with the Philadelphia Eagles trading Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns.
The Eagles are sending Pickett to Cleveland for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round choice in the 2025 NFL Draft, NFL Network and ESPN reported on Monday.
A fifth-round selection from UCLA in the 2023 NFL Draft, Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie and two games in 2024 with Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson dealing with injuries.
Thompson-Robinson has completed 121-of-230 passes for 880 yards with one touchdown and 10 interceptions and gained 122 yards on 21 rushing attempts in his NFL career.
A first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft, Pickett started 24 games in his first two NFL seasons before being traded to Philadelphia on March 15, 2024. The Eagles got Pickett and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a third-round pick in 2024 and two seventh-round picks in 2025.
When Hurts suffered a concussion in the second quarter of a 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22, Pickett finished that game for the former Alabama standout and started the next week, when the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 41-7.
Pickett sustained a rib injury against the Cowboys, and third-string QB Tanner McKee directed the Philadelphia offense during a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants in the regular-season finale. Hurts returned for the postseason, and the Eagles went on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX.
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Pickett has completed 471-of-744 passes for 4,765 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during his NFL career.
Cleveland has a quarterback question for the 2025 season. Watson’s return date from his latest Achilles injury is undetermined, but he is not expected to be ready when the 2025 season kicks off. Jameis Winston started seven games after Watson went down in 2024, but the former Hueytown High School star is on course to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
Hurts’ backup in his first two seasons as Philadelphia’s QB1 was Gardner Minshew. Marcus Mariota served as the backup in 2023 before Pickett came aboard in 2024.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.