Who Should I Start? Kenny Pickett or Michael Penix Jr.

Thursday, August 14, 12:05 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is still limited at the team's training camp practice on Thursday, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Pickett injured his hamstring back on July 26 and has not practiced with the rest of the team since then. Although the Browns haven't made any final decisions on the QB battle, it's a near certainty that veteran Joe Flacco will be anointed the Week 1 starter eventually. In addition to Pickett, rookies Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) and Shedeur Sanders (oblique) are also dealing with injuries, although it's expected that Gabriel will start the second preseason game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett could be back with the rest of the team by the end of this week, as he has been participating in seven-on-seven drills. The 27-year-old appears ticketed for the backup role to Flacco to begin the 2025 regular season.

Tuesday, August 12, 10:08 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not play in the team's second preseason game on Friday, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is also unlikely to play, although it has not been completely ruled out by the team. Neither Penix Jr. nor Cousins played in Atlanta's first preseason game against the Detroit Lions last Friday, leaving Easton Stick and Emory Jones to handle signal-calling duties. Penix Jr. has a long injury history dating back to his time in college, so it makes sense why the team would want to be cautious with him in the preseason despite his limited NFL experience as a starter (three games).