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Baker Mayfield finds himself in a difficult situation with the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 2022 NFL season. Shannon Sharpe recently discussed the issue on an episode of Undisputed.
Sharpe said:
"Both parties have said it's best that they go their separate ways. Baker said in the interview...I think he texted or talked to Adam Schefter. He put out this statement thanking the Cleveland Browns as if he was leaving in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns openly publicly courted Deshaun Watson and eventually signing Deshaun Watson."
Here is Mayfield's statement that Sharpe referenced:
Sharpe continued by talking about how Mayfield serving as the backup quarterback to Deshaun Watson for the Browns would be harmful to both sides:
"I don't know the purpose of having a $19 million backup. Baker Mayfield was the number one overall draft pick five years ago. He doesn't want to be a backup. He doesn't want to be in Cleveland anymore. So (he's saying) not only are you trying to make me the backup, you're trying to make me play in a place that I don't want to be."
The Browns made one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NFL history when they acquired Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans for a massive package of draft picks. The Browns also gave Watson the most significant contract in NFL history based on total guaranteed money and AAV in the form of five years and 230 million guaranteed dollars.
The massive commitment that the Browns made to Watson clearly shows that he will be their starting quarterback and franchise player of the future. That leaves Mayfield without a starting job with the Browns while entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Why haven't the Cleveland Browns traded Baker Mayfield?
Baker Mayfield is set to make under 19 million dollars in the final year of his rookie deal for the 2022 NFL season, making him the highest-paid backup quarterback. This motivates the Browns to trade him, but they have been unable to find a destination.
The Browns' inability to find a trade partner is likely for two reasons. Only a few teams are still in the market for a starting quarterback, and it's also possible that they won't believe in Mayfield's future potential as a legitimate franchise quarterback.
