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Tag: Cleveland Browns

  • State Attorneys Defend Ohio’s Plan to Fund Browns Stadium, Urge Court to Dismiss Challenge – Cleveland Scene

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    Attorneys representing several Ohio officials including Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague want a judge to dismiss the class action lawsuit challenging the use of unclaimed funds to pay for a new Cleveland Browns stadium.

    In a pair of filings, they reject the lawsuit as a “misguided challenge” and the plaintiffs’ objections as “conspiratorial ramblings.”

    Far from coming up with some novel workaround to take ordinary Ohioans’ money, “the law is both mundane and entirely within the state’s prerogative,” the state’s attorneys argue. “The state’s right to manage, dispose of, and take title to abandoned property has been established for hundreds of years.”

    If the plaintiffs are so worried about the state taking their property, one filing repeatedly asks, why don’t they just claim it?

    The state’s lawyers have filed a motion to break up the class of plaintiffs and another to dismiss the case outright.

    Background

    The case centers on the most recent state budget. The Cleveland Browns were seeking $600 million in state dollars to help to pay for a new $2.5 billion stadium in Brook Park. Republican lawmakers came up with a clever plan to pay for it without raising taxes.

    They could just take the money from ordinary Ohioans.

    The state manages a pool of nearly $5 billion in unclaimed funds. That money is made up of forgotten assets — things like old bank accounts, security deposits or insurance policies. It’s a big chunk of what state Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, has called “lazy money.” It’s just sitting in an account generating interest, but little else. He argued, why not put some of it to use?

    The Ohio Senate’s budget plan moves money that has gone unclaimed for more than 10 years to a new cultural and sports facilities fund. Rightful owners would have 10 more years to come forward, but after that, they’d lose any claim over their money. The Ohio House didn’t object, and when the budget landed on Gov. DeWine’s desk, he didn’t either.

    Two attorneys and former Democratic lawmakers, Jeff Crossman and Marc Dann, filed a class action lawsuit claiming the state’s plan amounts to stealing. Looking to eminent domain law, they said the state has to jump through several hoops before taking possession of a citizen’s property, but Ohio officials had done none of that.

    In the most recent filings, attorneys representing Ohio’s treasurer, the Department of Commerce director, the Division of Unclaimed Funds superintendent, and the executive director of the state facilities construction commission, pushed back.

    “The complaint is nothing more than an expression of plaintiffs’ belief that the law makes for bad public policy,” the state’s attorneys said. “Plaintiffs, however, are not entitled to use this lawsuit to substitute their judgment for that of the state’s duly elected representatives.”

    Standing & class status

    To bring a lawsuit, a plaintiff needs to demonstrate ‘standing’ — that they’ve been harmed, the defendant caused that harm and the court could fix it. In its filings, the state poked holes in class action’s claims of standing. With a website available for people to reclaim property, what harm has occurred? Anyone who believes the state of Ohio has custody of their property can file a claim, right now, to get their property back.

    “Plaintiffs here simply ignored (and continue to ignore) the available administrative procedure entirely,” the state’s attorneys write. “By deciding not to file claims under that process, they plan to cause their own injury and lack standing to claim that defendants are at fault.”

    What’s more, they questioned whether any injury exists at all, much less the “actual, imminent and concrete injury” plaintiffs need to demonstrate standing. Although state lawmakers set a deadline for claims, that cutoff isn’t until 2036.

    “Thus, no matter what, plaintiffs have had, and will have, more than ten years until they could theoretically experience a loss of their property,” the state contends. “That is hardly ‘imminent.’”

    The state’s lawyers argue the case is “far too speculative, remote, and abstract” to meet the requirements. Because no property becomes truly unrecoverable until 2036, no actual harm occurs until then either. By extension, the case won’t be “ripe” until then for court review. Because the plaintiffs haven’t taken advantage of the readily available administrative process for reclaiming their property, it’s not necessary for the court to intervene.

    In a separate filing, the state’s legal team argued there’s little that binds the supposed class together. People with property in Ohio’s unclaimed funds trust might prompt similar questions, but the state’s attorneys contend the point of a class action is to deliver a singular answer for the entire group.

    The state’s attorneys explain the federal government preempts disputes over money from FDIC-protected accounts. And because the state will only take over funds that have been in the trust for ten or more years, not every claimant would fit in the class.

    “Given the vast differences within the proposed class,” they insist, “these questions will require individualized answers, which will depend on multiple factors that would require a claimant-by-claimant analysis.”

    Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.

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    Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

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  • State Attorneys Defend Ohio’s Plan to Fund Browns Stadium, Urge Court to Dismiss Challenge

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    HHS Architects

    A rendering of the Brook Park dome and Haslam-operated entertainment village

    Attorneys representing several Ohio officials including Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague want a judge to dismiss the class action lawsuit challenging the use of unclaimed funds to pay for a new Cleveland Browns stadium.

    In a pair of filings, they reject the lawsuit as a “misguided challenge” and the plaintiffs’ objections as “conspiratorial ramblings.”

    Far from coming up with some novel workaround to take ordinary Ohioans’ money, “the law is both mundane and entirely within the state’s prerogative,” the state’s attorneys argue. “The state’s right to manage, dispose of, and take title to abandoned property has been established for hundreds of years.”

    If the plaintiffs are so worried about the state taking their property, one filing repeatedly asks, why don’t they just claim it?

    The state’s lawyers have filed a motion to break up the class of plaintiffs and another to dismiss the case outright.

    Background

    The case centers on the most recent state budget. The Cleveland Browns were seeking $600 million in state dollars to help to pay for a new $2.5 billion stadium in Brook Park. Republican lawmakers came up with a clever plan to pay for it without raising taxes.

    They could just take the money from ordinary Ohioans.

    The state manages a pool of nearly $5 billion in unclaimed funds. That money is made up of forgotten assets — things like old bank accounts, security deposits or insurance policies. It’s a big chunk of what state Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, has called “lazy money.” It’s just sitting in an account generating interest, but little else. He argued, why not put some of it to use?

    The Ohio Senate’s budget plan moves money that has gone unclaimed for more than 10 years to a new cultural and sports facilities fund. Rightful owners would have 10 more years to come forward, but after that, they’d lose any claim over their money. The Ohio House didn’t object, and when the budget landed on Gov. DeWine’s desk, he didn’t either.

    Two attorneys and former Democratic lawmakers, Jeff Crossman and Marc Dann, filed a class action lawsuit claiming the state’s plan amounts to stealing. Looking to eminent domain law, they said the state has to jump through several hoops before taking possession of a citizen’s property, but Ohio officials had done none of that.

    In the most recent filings, attorneys representing Ohio’s treasurer, the Department of Commerce director, the Division of Unclaimed Funds superintendent, and the executive director of the state facilities construction commission, pushed back.

    “The complaint is nothing more than an expression of plaintiffs’ belief that the law makes for bad public policy,” the state’s attorneys said. “Plaintiffs, however, are not entitled to use this lawsuit to substitute their judgment for that of the state’s duly elected representatives.”

    Standing & class status

    To bring a lawsuit, a plaintiff needs to demonstrate ‘standing’ — that they’ve been harmed, the defendant caused that harm and the court could fix it. In its filings, the state poked holes in class action’s claims of standing. With a website available for people to reclaim property, what harm has occurred? Anyone who believes the state of Ohio has custody of their property can file a claim, right now, to get their property back.

    “Plaintiffs here simply ignored (and continue to ignore) the available administrative procedure entirely,” the state’s attorneys write. “By deciding not to file claims under that process, they plan to cause their own injury and lack standing to claim that defendants are at fault.”

    What’s more, they questioned whether any injury exists at all, much less the “actual, imminent and concrete injury” plaintiffs need to demonstrate standing. Although state lawmakers set a deadline for claims, that cutoff isn’t until 2036.

    “Thus, no matter what, plaintiffs have had, and will have, more than ten years until they could theoretically experience a loss of their property,” the state contends. “That is hardly ‘imminent.’”

    The state’s lawyers argue the case is “far too speculative, remote, and abstract” to meet the requirements. Because no property becomes truly unrecoverable until 2036, no actual harm occurs until then either. By extension, the case won’t be “ripe” until then for court review. Because the plaintiffs haven’t taken advantage of the readily available administrative process for reclaiming their property, it’s not necessary for the court to intervene.

    In a separate filing, the state’s legal team argued there’s little that binds the supposed class together. People with property in Ohio’s unclaimed funds trust might prompt similar questions, but the state’s attorneys contend the point of a class action is to deliver a singular answer for the entire group.

    The state’s attorneys explain the federal government preempts disputes over money from FDIC-protected accounts. And because the state will only take over funds that have been in the trust for ten or more years, not every claimant would fit in the class.

    “Given the vast differences within the proposed class,” they insist, “these questions will require individualized answers, which will depend on multiple factors that would require a claimant-by-claimant analysis.”

    Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.

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    Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

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  • My Review of the Cleveland Browns

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    When you think of suffering, you might think of war, genocide, or famine. Suffering that is forced upon someone, with no escape, no control over the situation, is absolutely deplorable, absolutely incomprehensible, and also absolutely not the focus of this article.

    The suffering I’m concerned with is elective. The kind you sign up for. College admissions committees love this kind: “What obstacles have you overcome?” “What challenges have shaped you?” If you wrote about real agony, they would gasp and clutch their pearls. We must not overshare, lest the rawness make the reader uncomfortable. Save it for your therapist. But elective agony, they eat that shit up. Write about how an ACL tear in your varsity soccer game led you to an interest in sports medicine: instant Ivy League material. Write about how sexual assault led you to clinical depression: instant waitlist. We trot out our micro-traumas as evidence of character. Hardship, we are told, builds mental fortitude. It builds character and molds us into unstoppable forces. And, since there is so much merit in adversity, we often enter into it willingly.

    Today, I am on day two of a six-day backpacking trip through the remote wilderness of the Rocky Mountains with my partner, writing this down on a scrap piece of paper with a pencil. Yesterday, we climbed two mountains (~5000 vertical feet), crossing over 19 miles of terrain, carrying our home (tent), kitchen (stove and pots), and all the necessities to survive on our own, packed away on our backs, raking in a combined ~50 pounds. Today, my right foot is swollen. My legs are throbbing. My back is bruised. My odor is offensive – bad enough to extinguish the Cuyahoga if it ever caught fire again. Yet, as I sit here, I feel joy. I’m sure part of that joy is the knowledge that this will end – a warm shower and a cold beer await me on Friday. But it feels like more than that.

    There is a peculiar human drive not only to accomplish but to suffer. The Badwater Ultramarathon, for example, is 135 miles through Death Valley in July, where the air itself is hot enough to sauté you. If it were about mileage alone, runners could just loop around beautiful Lake Erie in November until their knees liquefied, then go grab a few rosemary bagels from Cleveland Bagel Company and a coconut water iced latte from Phoenix. But no; the point is the punishment. The point is to cook while climbing. 135 miles around Cleveland is too luxurious. You can’t achieve enlightenment with schmear on your face and the world’s best iced latte. With the Badwater Ultramarathon, suffering is not the obstacle. Suffering is the substance.

    We see this across history. Mother Teresa and Saint Francis of Assisi denounced comfortable lives to embrace poverty as if it were haute couture. Buddhist monks fast and seclude themselves into enlightenment. Jean-Jacques Savin crossed the Atlantic stuffed inside a barrel, while Joey Chestnut punishes himself by stuffing barrels of meat into his body – 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes, a feat equal parts impressive and alarming. Even Forrest Gump, cinema’s great philosopher, ran across America “for no particular reason.” The reason, of course, is to suffer.

    Which brings us to Cleveland.

    It turns out this drive to endure is not limited to wilderness of ultramarathons. In my own backyard, 17 times a year, I witness another kind of suffering. Being a Browns fan is its own Badwater: an intentional immersion in futility, an intellectual exercise in not giving up, a barrel meandering across the Atlantic, a communal fast where enlightenment is promised but only another off season rebuild is delivered. We elect it. We embrace it. We carry it on our backs.

    Consider the résumé: In the 1990s, the Browns were kidnapped to Baltimore, where they promptly won a Super Bowl while wearing someone else’s laundry. Since their return, Cleveland has managed only one playoff win. In the 2010s, we perfected a 1–31 stretch, capped by the platonic ideal of defeat: a 0–16 season. Just a few days ago, at our home opener, the Browns lost by one point to the Bengals. Since 2000, we’ve enjoyed just four winning seasons. The Colts, in their Peyton years, won relentlessly, but the stadium felt like a country club brunch; just last week they were voted the most pessimistic fans. The Rams won a Super Bowl in 2021, but half their stadium was visiting fans. Cleveland’s fans, by contrast, fill a losing stadium with the raw energy of a religious revival every single home game, in rain, snow, or sleet.

    This is not “despite” our record. I am starting to believe that it is because of it. The resilience is the point.

    A few hours have passed, and I am writing now sitting down in a patch of dirt by a creek, eating granola out of a bag. My legs ache, my back is striped with bruises, and an hour ago I sprinted in my underwear after a camping chair that the wind had blown downstream. I am suffering, but not unhappily. I feel fully at peace. I’ve gone through extreme lengths, and I rest brimming with a feeling of ability; not to accomplish, but to endure. Pain is proof that I can carry more than I thought. Misery is evidence of capacity. My partner sits beside me, just as sore, just as odorous. There is companionship in this misery. There is a triumph in the resilience of suffering, together. There really is an art to that.

    And that is Cleveland football. We climb the mountain season after season, battered and bruised, hauling futility on our backs. And though the summit reveals nothing more than another mountain, we keep going, together.

    Our losing seasons are not a failure but a kind of fellowship. They are a ritual, a proving ground, a daily reminder that endurance itself is a victory. There really is an art to suffering. In Cleveland, we practice it together with devotion – shotgunning warm beers in the Muni Lot, cheering through the wind and snow, and finding joy where no one else would dare look.

    Being a Browns fan is not about wins. It is about endurance. It is about carrying futility like a pack on your back and still walking forward, shoulder to shoulder with thousands who feel the same bruises, the same sting of disappointment. We do not suffer in silence. We revel in it, we ritualize it, we turn loss into communion. In Cleveland, misery is not defeat; it is proof. Proof that we can endure, that we can keep climbing, that we can find joy in the climb itself. And maybe, just maybe, that is the closest any of us will ever come to enlightenment.

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    Andy J. Huston

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  • Just married: Browns fans tie the knot in Muni Lot during season opener

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    CLEVELAND (WJW) – A happy couple of Cleveland fans has officially tied the knot at the Muni Lot during Cleveland’s season opener.

    Charles “Brown Spider” Bevel Jr. and DeSiree “First Lady” Wheeler, two of the biggest Browns fans around, officially got married on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 9:30 a.m.

    Before the wedding, the couple spoke with FOX 8’s Todd Meany on Wednesday about how they met, what led to their nicknames, and also how they decided to do their ceremony in the infamous Muni Lot (hint: it started as a joke).

    The couple wore “wedding-inspired” attire during the ceremony, but the orange and brown were featured prominently.

    Something old, nothing new, the happy couple would have been a lot happier going home with a win on Sunday, but we’re all used to the Sunday blues. 

    The couple said they are very appreciative of the support they got on Sunday morning and throughout the whole process. 

    Brown Spider and First Lady told FOX 8 News Sunday they were going to be up all night doing last-minute preparations, so as soon as they could get into the Muni Lot at 5 a.m., they’d be ready.

    They had a stage set up and bought enough parking spaces to fit about 100 seats. 

    It felt like when the wedding got going at 9:30 a.m., that all eyes were on these two Browns fans, with surprise officiant, former Browns receiver Webster Slaughter. 

    We caught up with the Bevels again, fresh off tying the knot. They told us they were a little nervous because of the rain this morning, but everything turned out perfect. 

    “We really appreciate everybody toughing out the rain and hanging with us. It was wonderful,” Charles said. “It was probably the best idea we ever had.”

    The couple will be honeymooning the first week of October in London. They will be in the stands for the Browns-Vikings games there across the pond. 

    The couple also said they realized their anniversary should fall on week one moving forward, so hopefully, some anniversary wins are in their future.

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    Celeste Houmard

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  • The NFL is finally back. Here are 5 things to know ahead of kickoff

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    The NFL is back at long last, and we are going to be treated to 16 games over four days to start the season.Here are five things to know heading into Week One. (And get to the end of the article for a fantasy tip that could help you win Week One!)Super Bowl champs open the season vs. Cowboys and Friday night footballThe Philadelphia Eagles are set to begin their title defense Thursday night when they host their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys.The Philly faithful will still have plenty to cheer about as they are bringing back pretty much all of the core from their championship team. And some extra good news for the Eagles: the so-called “tush push” was not banned, and they can continue to dominate short-yardage scenarios with Jalen Hurts and their powerful offensive line.Hurts is extra happy for this matchup after the Cowboys shocked the NFL world by trading All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons last week to the Packers for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said part of the reason they made the trade was to stop the run. Let’s see how they do against Saquon Barkley on opening night.The second game of the NFL season will be just one night later, as the league returns to São Paulo, Brazil, for a second straight season. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will take on the Los Angeles Chargers.In last year’s Brazil game at Arena Corinthians, the field was very slick and drew much criticism from the Eagles and Packers. The NFL says it is aware of the problem and will make sure it does not happen this time.The Buffalo Bills are Super Bowl favoritesNeither Hurts and the Eagles, nor Mahomes and the Chiefs, are the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. Oddsmakers have Josh Allen and the Bills as the most likely to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.At some point the Bills’ luck has to change, right?They are one of 12 NFL teams to have never won the Super Bowl, along with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.They just better hope they don’t run into the Chiefs. Allen is 0-4 against Mahomes in the playoffs. The Bills have a monster opener Sunday night at home against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.Aaron Rodgers revenge gameRight out of the gate we get Aaron Rodgers, who is now the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, going up against his former team, the New York Jets. New York fans will likely not be giving Rodgers a warm welcome when he gets under center at MetLife Stadium. In his two seasons in New York the Jets went just 6-12 in games he played – and he spent much of the time injured.Rodgers turns 42 in December. Here is the list of quarterbacks who have started 10 or more games in their age-42 season: Tom Brady.That’s it.Rodgers will need to stay healthy and find the fountain of youth if the Steelers are to realize their Super Bowl dreams.The 49ers are fire and iceHistory has told us one thing about the 49ers: They are either going to be really good or really bad. This is an amazing stat: Over the last 22 years, the Niners have either made at least the NFC Championship Game or not made the playoffs at all. They don’t mess around with any first- or second-round exits.This season they are coming off a very disappointing 6-11 record. But the good news is that finish was good for last place in the NFC West, which means they get to play a last-place schedule this season. Expect a big bounce-back year from Brock Purdy and company, as they officially have the easiest schedule in the NFL.They open at Seattle on Sunday.Bengals yearn for hot startNo team needs to get off to a fast start more than the Cincinnati Bengals. Over the last three seasons they’ve started 0-2, and last season they started 0-3. For this reason, coach Zac Taylor had his starters playing more than usual during the preseason to get them ready for Week One against the Browns.Joe Burrow and company have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. They will look to end the drought behind their high-powered offense.Fantasy tip: Start Jerome FordSpeaking of the Bengals … while their offense is good, their defense is expected to be one of the worst in the NFL. Browns running back Jerome Ford is rostered in about 70% of ESPN leagues. If he’s available, or if you already have him, start him against the Bengals.

    The NFL is back at long last, and we are going to be treated to 16 games over four days to start the season.

    Here are five things to know heading into Week One. (And get to the end of the article for a fantasy tip that could help you win Week One!)

    Super Bowl champs open the season vs. Cowboys and Friday night football

    The Philadelphia Eagles are set to begin their title defense Thursday night when they host their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

    The Philly faithful will still have plenty to cheer about as they are bringing back pretty much all of the core from their championship team. And some extra good news for the Eagles: the so-called “tush push” was not banned, and they can continue to dominate short-yardage scenarios with Jalen Hurts and their powerful offensive line.

    Hurts is extra happy for this matchup after the Cowboys shocked the NFL world by trading All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons last week to the Packers for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said part of the reason they made the trade was to stop the run. Let’s see how they do against Saquon Barkley on opening night.

    The second game of the NFL season will be just one night later, as the league returns to São Paulo, Brazil, for a second straight season. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

    In last year’s Brazil game at Arena Corinthians, the field was very slick and drew much criticism from the Eagles and Packers. The NFL says it is aware of the problem and will make sure it does not happen this time.

    The Buffalo Bills are Super Bowl favorites

    Neither Hurts and the Eagles, nor Mahomes and the Chiefs, are the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. Oddsmakers have Josh Allen and the Bills as the most likely to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

    At some point the Bills’ luck has to change, right?

    They are one of 12 NFL teams to have never won the Super Bowl, along with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.

    They just better hope they don’t run into the Chiefs. Allen is 0-4 against Mahomes in the playoffs. The Bills have a monster opener Sunday night at home against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

    Aaron Rodgers revenge game

    Right out of the gate we get Aaron Rodgers, who is now the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, going up against his former team, the New York Jets. New York fans will likely not be giving Rodgers a warm welcome when he gets under center at MetLife Stadium. In his two seasons in New York the Jets went just 6-12 in games he played – and he spent much of the time injured.

    Rodgers turns 42 in December. Here is the list of quarterbacks who have started 10 or more games in their age-42 season: Tom Brady.

    That’s it.

    Rodgers will need to stay healthy and find the fountain of youth if the Steelers are to realize their Super Bowl dreams.

    The 49ers are fire and ice

    History has told us one thing about the 49ers: They are either going to be really good or really bad. This is an amazing stat: Over the last 22 years, the Niners have either made at least the NFC Championship Game or not made the playoffs at all. They don’t mess around with any first- or second-round exits.

    This season they are coming off a very disappointing 6-11 record. But the good news is that finish was good for last place in the NFC West, which means they get to play a last-place schedule this season. Expect a big bounce-back year from Brock Purdy and company, as they officially have the easiest schedule in the NFL.

    They open at Seattle on Sunday.

    Bengals yearn for hot start

    No team needs to get off to a fast start more than the Cincinnati Bengals. Over the last three seasons they’ve started 0-2, and last season they started 0-3. For this reason, coach Zac Taylor had his starters playing more than usual during the preseason to get them ready for Week One against the Browns.

    Joe Burrow and company have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. They will look to end the drought behind their high-powered offense.

    Fantasy tip: Start Jerome Ford

    Speaking of the Bengals … while their offense is good, their defense is expected to be one of the worst in the NFL. Browns running back Jerome Ford is rostered in about 70% of ESPN leagues. If he’s available, or if you already have him, start him against the Bengals.

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  • Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski Officially Names QB2

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    Source: Nick Cammett / Getty

    It’s not every year that the Cleveland Browns have six quarterbacks on their roster, but that’s what can happen when you finish with one of the worst offenses in football.

    Cleveland came into camp this summer with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and injured veteran Deshaun Watson. Tyler ‘Snoop’ Hunley was later added after injuries.

    But in a post on X from ESPN NFL Senior Insider Adam Schefter, it appears that Cleveland is starting to figure things out.

    Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has officially declared rookie Gabriel as Flacco’s backup for Week 1. After the team moved on from Pickett yesterday, this leaves rookie Shedeur Sanders as Cleveland’s third-string QB.

    For now.

    Some local reporters have speculated that Cleveland could be considering bringing back recently released veteran Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley as either a practice squad quarterback, or even a potential third stringer. If that were to happen then it’s anyone’s guess as to what happens with Shedeur.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

    Report: Browns Trade QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders

    Cleveland Browns 2025 NFL Schedule

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    Matty Willz

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  • Browns make stunning Kenny Pickett trade to Raiders as backup quarterback role remains wide open

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    The Cleveland Browns are not carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster after all, following a stunning trade on Monday night.

    The Browns dealt veteran Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round NFL Draft pick.

    The Raiders were desperate for a backup quarterback to Geno Smith, whom they traded for earlier this offseason with the Seattle Seahawks to reunite him with his old head coach, Pete Carroll. Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist during the Raiders’ preseason finale, sidelining him for 6–8 weeks.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 12, 2025. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

    O’Connell was expected to back up Smith this season, but that lengthy absence forced Las Vegas to look elsewhere. Carroll mentioned wanting someone with starting experience, and the Raiders get that in the fourth-year man out of Pitt.

    Pickett has 25 starts under his NFL belt, going 15–10 over that span with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he couldn’t solidify the starting job there, ultimately leading to a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2024 season. It was there that Pickett backed up Jalen Hurts on the Eagles’ way to a Super Bowl LIX victory last season.

    BROWNS CUT PRO BOWL QUARTERBACK AS TEAM TRIMS ROSTER AHEAD OF REGULAR SEASON

    Pickett was then traded from Philadelphia to Cleveland, as the Browns were assembling their quarterback room with Deshaun Watson sidelined by a torn Achilles. Pickett was competing with veteran Joe Flacco—already named the Week 1 starter by head coach Kevin Stefanski—as well as rookies Dillon Gabriel (third round) and Shedeur Sanders (fifth round).

    A hamstring injury suffered early in training camp cost Pickett valuable time to compete for his roster spot. He didn’t play in any of the team’s preseason games, though Stefanski mentioned after the finale against the Los Angeles Rams that he believed Pickett would return in time for Week 1.

    With Flacco already locked in as the starter, the question of who Stefanski would choose as the Browns’ backup gained extra attention, especially with the national spotlight on Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. ESPN recently reported that the Browns were preparing to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but the trade changes that entire situation.

    Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, left, Dillon Gabriel, center, and Joe Flacco

    Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, left, Dillon Gabriel, center, and Joe Flacco warm up during an NFL practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

    Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, brought in after Pickett and Gabriel dealt with early training camp injuries, was reportedly waived by the Browns following his preseason action.

    So while Pickett figures to step in as the Raiders’ backup quarterback to start the season, who will sit behind Flacco on the Browns’ depth chart will remain a topic of speculation until Stefanski makes the call.

    Sanders strengthened his case with an impressive preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, along with four carries for 19 yards. Injury kept him out of the team’s second game, but he returned in the second half of the finale against the Rams, where he struggled—finishing just 3 of 6 for 14 yards while taking five sacks.

    Kenny Pickett makes pass at practice

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 10, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

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    Gabriel, after missing the opener, played in the final two preseason matchups. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Against the Rams, he went 12 of 19 for 129 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the preseason.

    The Browns’ roster, along with every other NFL team, must be finalized by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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  • Report: Browns Trade QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders

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    Source: Perry Knotts / Getty

    The Cleveland Browns have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move comes just months after Cleveland signed the former Pittsburgh Steelers starter in free agency.

    After injuring his hamstring, Pickett never took the field in a Browns uniform during the preseason. Now the team can evaluate rookie Shedeur Sanders and former Oklahoma standout Dillon Gabriel instead. With Pickett out of the picture, Cleveland’s quarterback depth chart behind Week 1 starter Joe Flacco will continue to take shape.

    The Browns open the 2025 NFL season against the Cincinnati Bengals, with Gabriel expected to handle backup duties in Week 1. Shedeur Sanders will likely open the season as QB 3.

    Sources: Adam Schefter on X

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    Michael Gallagher covers national trending news across the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football and entertainment for Newsweek.

    He brings over a decade of writing and editing experience in sports journalism, has won multiple Tennessee Press Association awards, and covered several notable events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game, and an NHL Stadium Series.

    His previous bylines can be found on Athlon Sports, Yahoo Sports, The Hockey News, Fox Sports, the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post, Yardbarker, and SB Nation. You can read more of Michael’s work by following him on X @MGsports_.



    Contributing Sports Writer