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2018 NFL draft's Number one overall pick, Baker Mayfield claimed at the Combine that he was the one to turn around the Cleveland Browns franchise. He made that claim when he was asked about the possibility of being drafted first overall by the Browns.
In his rookie season, he had to sit on the bench behind Tyrod Taylor for the first couple of games, as the then head coach Hue Jackson wanted to start a veteran at the quarterback position. However, Taylor suffered a concussion in a Monday Night NFL game and Baker Mayfield was unleashed upon the NFL.
In his rookie season, he managed to show his production and equaled the record set by Payton Manning for 26 touchdowns. Baker thrived under adversity and was able to keep the Browns floating and fighting for a winning record in his rookie season. However, they fell short of that with a loss to divisional rivals Baltimore Ravens.
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His production suffered under rookie head coach, Freddie Kitchens, who was hired after he helped Browns steady the ship, as they had fired their head coach and offensive coordinator the previous season. His lack of experience led to a slum in the production of the team, which was loaded offensively and was dubbed as one of the contenders in the 2019 NFL season. Kitchens failed to provide a potent offense that would allow the former number one pick to lead the team to the post-season.
Should Cleveland Browns extend Baker Mayfield’s NFL contract?
Baker Mayfield’s production was back to its original potential under the new head coach and a run-first offense brought in by Kevin Stefanski. There has been a lot of criticism regarding Mayfield's ability to lead the team on his back and help them win a game on any given NFL Sunday.
He has particularly struggled to build a chemistry with one of the most potent NFL WR, Odell Beckham JR. He was a point of criticism for a lot of the pundits around the NFL who still don’t consider him to be a franchise quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.
Browns’ General Manager, Andrew Berry in his post-season press conference with the local and national media refused to discuss the contract situation in public. However, it would not be a surprise if he extents Mayfield’s contract in the offseason with a team-friendly contract, as he will have many other players to look at as well. One of the notable players' contracts that Berry and his team would be looking to extend will be Nick Chubb, who is a second-round pick in the same NFL draft as the quarterback.
There will be no surprise if the Browns pick up his fifth-Year option and give him a chance to show his consistency and growth in the upcoming NFL season. Mayfield will have - for the first time in his pro career - the same head coach going into a new season. A coach who has had a positive effect both on the quarterback and the culture change in the Browns organization.
