There has been much said about the relationship between Baker Mayfield and the Browns’ front office. The Browns quarterback remains on Cleveland’s roster following the 2022 NFL draft, and his future is still unclear. He is owed $18.8 million in 2022.
One thing that was said about him seem to take him to his breaking point and it set off a chain reaction that led Deshaun Watson to Cleveland.
ESPN is reporting that “the final straw for Mayfield, according to multiple sources, came on March 16, when ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen said he believed Mayfield’s time in Cleveland was over and that he was told the Browns wanted ‘an adult’ at quarterback.”
“They’re breaking up, regardless of whether or not Deshaun Watson ends up Cleveland, the one thing that I was told is that it’s just not a match emotionally, whereas Baker Mayfield’s passion and emotional leadership were embraced in Oklahoma and even in the beginning with the Browns, things have changed and they want what they consider an adult at the position,” Mortensen reported.
Just 24 hours after that report, Mayfield demanded a trade. That forced the Browns’ hand and they would soon trade for Deshaun Watson. After that blockbuster trade, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam claimed the “adult” comment did not come from ownership.
“Contrary to what is out there in the press, we think highly of Baker and did not get down on him,” said Haslam after the trade. “[I know] Baker felt that [“adult” comment] came from ownership, but that’s not true. Baker gave it everything he had while he was here. Nobody can question his effort this past year, and nobody can question the four years he gave to the city of Cleveland.”
Now, we are past the NFL Draft and there is still no sure-fire team that may trade for Mayfield.
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It sounds like Baker Mayfield might not join a new team this month, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.
“I don’t get the sense that anything will happen with Baker Mayfield until June at the earliest,” Rapoport said.
There was speculation that the Seahawks could pick up Mayfield after they traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos this offseason. However, ESPN insider Dianna Russini said on Tuesday that Seattle is not interested in acquiring Mayfield.
