There are plenty of unknowns at this juncture of the 2025 NFL offseason. Chief among them is which of the four Cleveland Browns quarterbacks will be named the starter come Week 1. However, one of the club's newest members, wide receiver Diontae Johnson, seems to have a hunch about who ultimately gets the nod: Kenny Pickett.
During a recent appearance on the Sports and Suits podcast, Johnson discussed his fresh start with the Browns following a turbulent 2024 campaign. One thing led to another, and the discussion eventually shifted to Cleveland's uncertain situation under center. When asked who he thinks will win the signal-caller competition, the veteran wideout didn't hesitate to mention Pickett.
Pickett seems to be garnering the respect and attention of his peers, or at least one of them. But he shouldn't let comments like this get to his head, especially because Johnson probably isn't the most qualified person to speak on the matter.
Diontae Johnson propping up Kenny Pickett as the Browns' starting QB isn't gospel
Johnson predicting Pickett will finish atop Cleveland's passer depth chart is a nice vote of confidence, if anything. Nothing more, nothing less. Nonetheless, it means very little in the grand scheme of things, considering he's not a Browns decision-maker.
Moreover, Johnson has a bit of a checkered past ... to put it mildly. Even if he was an upstanding citizen, the one-time Pro Bowler doesn't have a say in how the Browns choose to operate. But as someone who was self-admittedly "checked out" and traded or cut three times this past season, should Cleveland trust him? We sure hope not.
Since entering the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, well-chronicled attitude issues have followed Johnson everywhere. That was his downfall with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans last year, all within the span of a few months. He's been given a second (technically fifth) chance with the Browns, but that doesn't suddenly mean the team will turn to him for input.
Speaking of Johnson landing another shot courtesy of Cleveland, his one-year veteran minimum contract ($1.17 million) has zero dollars in guaranteed money. Cleveland has virtually no stake in the rising seventh-year pro and can part ways with him with no strings attached. Who knows if he'll even be on the final 53-man roster? (He probably will be because of sheer lack of talent and positional need, but moving on would be seamless if character concerns permeate.)
But, above all, Johnson's stance on Pickett may be slightly biased. The two played in Pittsburgh together in 2022 and 2023, and the former was a primary target of the latter. Their familiarity and connection mean we should take comments they make about one another with a massive grain of salt.