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Unless something changes, Baker Mayfield is still on a path to becoming the backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in 2022. Both Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield are on the roster, and until the latter is traded, he will be forced to remain with the team. Where will the quarterback end up?
According to one NFL analyst, Mayfield may end up as a backup somewhere due to the totality of the situation, but it is not where he belongs. Speaking on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Chris Simms used explicit language to argue his point. He began listing other backup quarterbacks and focused on Mayfield. Simms said:
“Can we clearly say today that Pickett is already better than backups like Andy Dalton, Case Keenum. Baker Mayfield, Jimmy G? Those are all valid points, but Baker Mayfield ain't no f*** backup. Let's just make sure they know that."
Simms continued, saying that Cleveland gave their former starter the short end of the stick:
"No backup. Alright, they might have f*** him over to where he ends up in backup bill here, because there's no more seats left because Cleveland screwed him. But he's not a backup quarterback. He's still a starter in the NFL. So is Jimmy G.”
Baker Mayfield's starting career
Mayfield started for the team in all of his four seasons in the NFL. The team drafted the quarterback in 2018 as a culture-changing force. At first, the results were encouraging for fans. The quarterback threw for 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
2019 would prove to answer whether the quarterback's rookie season was a fluke. Some began to think this after looking at his statistics in his second season. In 2019, Mayfield completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes, throwing for 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
However, in his third year, he did all he could to quiet the nay-sayers. In 2020, he threw for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, according to Pro Football Reference.
In 2021, the quarterback was once again humbled. He spent much of the season injured while throwing for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Some gave him some slack, but others were ready to move on. The Browns did so just months after his last interception of the season. With Watson now in Cleveland, the team is looking for a place for Mayfield. Where will he end up?
