Baker Mayfield and Sean McVay have reunited, having spent one (now fortunate, it seems) flight together en route to the NFL scouting combine back in 2018. Mayfield was on his way to being the No. 1 pick in the draft, and McVay was on his way to a first Super Bowl appearance the following season.
While their careers certainly diverged from that point, it shouldn’t change the fact that their flight together, and whatever relationship formed during that moment, could end up having an effect on the near future of the NFL.
Before we get there, let’s talk for a moment about the waiver claims process, the avenue by which Mayfield found himself in Los Angeles this week preparing to potentially start a football game Thursday. The Rams were the only team that placed a claim for Mayfield, which is true, but they were also third in the waiver order, thanks to their 3–9 record, with 29 teams behind them. They also, through various leaks, made it clear they were interested in claiming Mayfield (or, at the very least, hid their intentions poorly). If another team behind Los Angeles wanted to do it, they were likely wondering what the point was.
