"No matter what he did for us, we don't care" - NFL analyst explains the Browns mindset and why they can't go back to Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield is still sitting at home waiting to see what the 2022-23 season will bring. After a chaotic free agency period in which the Cleveland Browns acquired former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, the team find themselves in a tough spot. A suspension is expected to be handed down to Watson, who is being investigated on multiple counts of sexual misconduct.

One thing the Browns most likely won’t do is ask the former Oklahoma Sooner to change his mind about leaving and start in Watson’s place. Mayfield made it clear that the Browns wronged him and he wanted out. A conversation about returning to the team would no doubt be awkward.

ESPN analyst Freddie Coleman expressed his doubts about the Browns rekindling their relationship with the quarterback on First Take.

"The Cleveland Browns made their choice and they shipped away a guy that gave it to us last year and Baker Mayfield is not a great quarterback. We all know that. This is not new news here with him. But you decided that a guy who played hurt, played injury-filled last year and then you give up on him for Deshaun Watson, who was a better quarterback in terms of talent, with all the bags that he brought with him. "

"Cleveland can say all they want. They're not going to make the phone call. They can't bring him back because they already made that choice because they told everybody, no matter what he did for us, we don't care."

The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner requested a trade from the Browns after it became clear they were going after Watson, but thus far, there have been no takers.

The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks were among potential landing spots. However, the two teams seemed to lose interest due to the money still left on his contract.

Baker Mayfield can be useful to a few teams in the NFL

If a trade were to happen, the Browns would probably be expected to pick up the lion's share of Mayfield’s remaining salary.

There’s still a possibility the Browns could cut him, which may be what many teams are waiting for. Either way, the 2017 Manning Award recipient would be a better option for at least a few teams around the league.

The Carolina Panthers' current quarterback depth chart includes former Jets Sam Darnold, rookie Matt Corral and veteran P.J. Walker. Carolina finished last season with a record of 5-12 and lost their last seven games in a row. Darnold was accountable for starting 11 of those 17 games. The franchise even brought back Cam Newton in week 10 of the season to try something new and it didn't equate to much at all.

The Seattle Seahawks now have Geno Smith as their starter after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. They received Drew Lock from Denver in the trade but he is listed as the backup for now on the depth chart. It's very hard to replace the caliber of a Russell Wilson at quarterback. Wilson missed three games last season due to an injury in his right middle finger. In those three games, Geno Smith went 1-2 with his highest passing yards total of just 209 yards against Pittsburgh.