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The Cleveland Browns and their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, must patch things up given the uncertainty of Deshaun Watson, according to NBC Sports NFL analyst Mike Florio. On the NBC Sports show Pro Football Talk, Florio urged Cleveland to repair their relationship with Mayfield, given the lack of certainty surrounding Watson and the 2022 season:
“I think the Browns should be trying to get Baker Mayfield back in the fold because they may need him. We don't know how long Deshaun Watson is going to miss if at all this year. That's a different topic. And maybe it'll come to a head next week. I'm still penciling it in [for] next Friday, Memorial Day weekend bad news dump the NFL proposes a suspension of Deshaun Watson and the disciplinary process moves forward.”
Florio concluded his point by asserting that the team may need Mayfield for the majority of the entire 2022 season and that Cleveland's already paying him $18.8 million this season anyway:
“They may need him for all or most of the 2022 season. You're already paying him 18.8 million. And if I'm Baker Mayfield, I know we gotta go to break. But if I'm Baker Mayfield and I look at Seattle, Carolina or Cleveland as my options, and I want to set myself up to become a free agent and get a big contract next year. Cleveland is the no-brainer, isn't it?”
The Browns traded for Watson this offseason to be the team's starting quarterback moving forward, supplanting Mayfield under center.
Cleveland later gave Watson a five-year, $230 million-dollar contract, including a $44,965,000 signing bonus, $230 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $46 million.
Watson possibly faces discipline from the NFL and is dealing with 22 civil lawsuits in Harris County, Texas, alleging sexual assault and misconduct during massage treatments.
Baker Mayfield as the Browns' starter
Mayfield was Cleveland's No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He finished second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in the 2018 season after throwing for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
Last season, Mayfield started 14 games for Cleveland, throwing for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He's started 59 games in the regular season and two playoff games, both of which were in the 2020 season.
It's not out of the realm of possibility for Mayfield to see snaps under center for Cleveland this season. To answer that, we'll have to see if the NFL suspends Watson or not
