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Baker Mayfield is at the center of the NFL world right now. With news breaking that the Browns talked to Deshaun Watson, many are wondering what it means for Mayfield. Tony Kornheiser gave fans the answer on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. On the show, he said what the quarterback's loss could mean for the NFL community:
"There is no commitment to Baker Mayfield, which on a level to me is disappointing because if he leaves he's got really good commercials and we're not going to see them again."
Of course, this was mostly a joke about the quarterback's Progressive commercials that permeate the NFL timeslots on television, but the quarterback could still get commercials with another team. Put simply, the logic of the implication doesn't hold water, but the idea works as a simple joke.
However, before poking fun at the quarterback, Kornheiser went into detail about what the Browns think about their quarterback and how Watson could play in:
"They have no commitment to Baker Mayfield. It's that simple. They now have no commitment. They are willing to go after Deshaun Watson, who may not be allowed to play for them. He may be suspended by the League, depending on the outcome of all these civil suits, even if they're settled, it's possible he will be suspended by the league and they are saying we are willing to wait for you rather than hand the team to this particular guy who was the overall number one pick for all I know they may be trying to trade Baker Mayfield right now."
What do the potentially Baker Mayfield-less Browns need to know about Deshaun Watson's legal issues?
It is pretty clear that if the Browns move on from Mayfield, Deshaun Watson would be the first target. Watson missed 2021 and is aiming to play in 2022. However, while the quarterback is legally out of the woods, he has not escaped the NFL yet. As Kornheiser alluded to, there is an idea that the quarterback could still miss time in 2022 due to suspension.
The idea comes from the cases of Ezekiel Elliott and Ben Roethlisberger, two players who escaped legal consequences but still missed time due to suspensions. Elliott escaped legal punishment when he was accused of domestic abuse. However, the NFL suspended him for six games.
Ben Roethlisberger, accused of sexual assault, ultimately avoided jail time. However, the NFL suspended the quarterback for six games. These two cases serve as the backbone of the expectation that the NFL will likely do something about Watson.
This will likely be the last catch teams like the Browns will need to consider when deciding to make a move for Watson. If he misses a significant amount of time in 2022, it could place a harder ceiling in the short run. Of course, for teams hoping to lock down the position for the next decade or longer, a few games could seem like a drop in the bucket.
