Kenny Pickett is missing this week at Browns training camp as he deals with a hamstring injury. In his absence, Joe Flacco is taking the team's first-team reps.
Pickett and Flacco are competing in a four-person quarterback battle on the Browns this offseason. So far, Pickett has popped up as the frontrunner, especially after quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave gave high praise to Pickett last week. So, this injury was pretty untimely for him.
Flacco spoke about Pickett's injury on Monday before training camp, offering sympathy for his fellow quarterback.
"I think, listen, I think there's worse timing," Flacco said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. "But at any point when you've been working so hard, you don't want to see something like that."
Flacco has a lot to prove this week with Pickett out. Pickett injured his hamstring during Saturday's practice, and he will be re-evaluated this week. In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see if rookies Dillion Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will get a turn at working with the first team offense. Notably, Sanders is the only quarterback yet to take a rep with the top unit through training camp.
The quarterback competition seems far from over, that's for sure. Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters last week that it's a possibility the team keeps all four quarterbacks on the roster for the 2025 season. They still have to figure out their starter, too.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joe Flacco Reacts to Kenny Pickett Injury During Browns Quarterback Battle.