Browns Carson Wentz interest provides Kenny Pickett narrative no one saw coming

The Cleveland Browns are looking to rebound from the disappointment of a three-win campaign in 2024.

It had to begin with re-signing Myles Garrett. That was a huge win for Andrew Berry and the Browns front office, even if it reeks of desperation. With their defensive core intact and a No. 3 pick on the horizon, Cleveland can start planning for a rapid ascent in 2025.

The only problem? Well, the quarterback situation remains... unsettled. To put it kindly.

Deshaun Watson has torn the same Achilles twice, so he's off the board. Cleveland therefore has a ton of financial resources tied up in dead weight at the QB position, which can make it tough to navigate free agency. The Browns have been connected to names like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, but none inspire much confidence.

Right now, the expectation is that newcomer Kenny Pickett will have a chance to compete for the starting gig (yikes). And now, a new name is picking up steam in the Browns rumor mill. According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, there is "mutual interest" between the Browns and former Pro Bowl QB Carson Wentz.

The Browns could look at Wentz as a bridge quarterback until Watson is healthy in 2026 or a rookie gets up to speed. In the meantime, it would also set up an unexpected (and kind of depressing) QB battle between former Eagles backups.

Carson Wentz, Kenny Pickett might duke it out for Browns QB job after Eagles exits

This is a strong Philadelphia flavor here, obviously. Pickett spent last season with the Eagles and watched Jalen Hurts win a Super Bowl. Wentz once watched Nick Foles win a Super Bowl from the Eagles sideline, albeit under slightly different circumstances.

We pretty much knew Pickett was a bust when he arrived in Philly. The hometown kid began his career as a first-round pick in Pittsburgh, propped up as the Steelers' post-Ben Roethlisberger savior. That never quite worked out, and the Steelers moved on in favor of a game of musical chairs at the QB position.

Pickett was sparsely used last season, except for a single pinch start when Hurts got, well, hurt late in the campaign. He happened to beat the Cowboys in that start, however, so Pickett lived a pretty full Philly football experience.

Wentz arrived on Philly shores as the No. 2 overall pick in 2016. He was billed as a generational talent from a no-name school at North Dakota State. For a while, it felt like Wentz might live up to the hype. He was utterly sensational during the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl season. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.5) and QBR (78.6), finishing third in MVP voting despite only playing 13 games.

Unfortunately, that season was cut short by a knee injury. Then Wentz watched as Nick Foles led Philadelphia to the mountaintop without him — one of the great underdog stories of modern sports history, and the beginning of the end for Wentz. He took over the starting gig again in 2018, but it was never the same. In Week 13 of the 2020 season, Wentz was yanked in favor of a young Jalen Hurts. The rest is history.

Now the two former Philly backups are on the verge of competing for a single job opening in Cleveland. Wentz, 32, spent last season behind Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, which means he got to watch his Eagles replacement win a Super Bowl from the sideline again. The wrong sideline, this time. He is probably the "better" quarterback, but Pickett is younger and at least gives off the faint hint of upside. So Cleveland's decision is a tough one, kind of like picking between a rotten banana and a slightly less rotten anchovy. The anchovy is less rotten, but like... he's still an anchovy.