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It is almost the start of the summer and Baker Mayfield is still with the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland are in a bit of a tricky situation as to who will be the starting quarterback in week one of the 2022 season. They acquired Deshaun Watson this offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans.
Even before the trade, Mayfield made it clear he wanted out of Cleveland. Once the Browns acquired Watson, they didn't allow him to seek a trade partner.
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Shortly after, there were rumors that the Seahawks and Panthers were interested in acquiring the unhappy quarterback, but no trade was ever facilitated.
Tom Pelissero spoke about Mayfield's best chance to revive his career on The Rich Eisen Show, and he thinks that playing for the Browns this season would be the quarterback's best chance.
Pelissero said:
“I would say until the day that Mayfield is not a member of the Browns, any scenario is possible. But Baker has made it abundantly clear to the Browns since before even they had made the trade for Deshaun Watson that he does not want to be in Cleveland."
He continued:
"That he felt like he was misled, to say the least by members of the organization. With regards to his future, he does not intend to play there again."
He went on to say:
"Now, if you got to the point that Deshaun Watson were suspended for a season or more, there is a case to be made, at least from an intellectual standpoint, that Baker's best chance to revive his career and his earning power is to play one year with the Cleveland Browns. As opposed to one year with the Carolina Panthers or the Seattle Seahawks or whatever team you potentially could go to because the Browns are pretty talented."
Pelissero concluded:
"They got a couple of really good running backs. They traded for Amari Cooper, they've got playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. They're a team that's really built to win. But you know, those are, I would say, at this point, still long shot types of possibilities.”
The Cleveland Browns haven't been able to trade Baker Mayfield
Even if the Browns wanted to trade Mayfield, it would be harder than expected. After a down year in 2021 where he played on a hurt shoulder, teams don't value Mayfield as high as his contract calls for. The quarterback is due $18.8 million this season, as the Browns picked up his fifth-yer option following the 2020 season.
For now, it seems his best option is to stay with the Browns as he may get a chance to be their starter this season with Deshaun Watson's status up in the air.
With Watson's legal situation hotting up as new lawsuits have been filed, the NFL is under all kinds of pressure to act sooner rather than later. If the Browns were to trade Mayfield and Watson was to be handed a lengthy suspension, it would hinder their ambitions for not just the Super Bowl, but their playoff aspirations and the AFC North division chances.
We will have to wait and see what happens next as the season creeps slowly closer.
