Baker Mayfield was the king of Cleveland a year ago after leading the Browns to a rare playoff appearance, and a subsequent win over the Steelers looked like a sign of things to come for the long-struggling franchise.
But after an injury-plagued 2021 season, Mayfield’s time in Cleveland may be coming to an end. The Browns reportedly met with Deshaun Watson on Tuesday, which seems to have prompted Mayfield to pen a letter to the city of Cleveland that certainly reads like a goodbye.
Whether or not the Browns land Watson, it sounds like they may be in search of a new quarterback. ESPN’s Dianna Russini and Chris Mortensen both say they believe the two sides are heading towards a breakup, with Mortensen reporting the pretty eye-opening detail that the franchise wants “an adult” at the quarterback position on a Wednesday edition of SportsCenter.
“I believe they’re breaking up, regardless of whether or not Deshaun Watson ends up in Cleveland,” Mortensen said. “The one thing I was told is that it’s just not a match emotionally. Whereas Baker Mayfield’s passion and emotional leadership was embraced at Oklahoma, and even in the beginning with the Browns, things have changed and they want what they consider ‘an adult’ at that position and that Baker Mayfield probably is going to be moved.”
Mortensen added some potential fits for both Mayfield and the Browns, should they go through with this breakup.
“I see Seattle may end up being a candidate, certainly for Baker Mayfield. Other people may say the Colts,” he continued. “And then, who’s an ‘adult’? Well, Jimmy Garoppolo is scheme friendly and yes, he has a shoulder recovery, so does Baker Mayfield. But Jimmy Garoppolo is one I would not ignore for Cleveland. But I do agree with Dianna, this is a breakup about to happen.”
Seattle traded Russell Wilson to Denver earlier this month, while Indianapolis dealt Carson Wentz to Washington, leaving both teams with a need at quarterback. While Mayfield has serious questions about his ability to be a winning QB, he still has plenty of upside, and he's on a team-friendly fifth-year option in 2022. He will earn less than $19 million next season.
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