The Browns apparently aren’t ready to move on from Baker Mayfield quite yet.
Cleveland will head into the NFL offseason with the mindset that Mayfield will be its starting quarterback for the 2022 campaign, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday.
“Plenty of scenarios have been rumored, including Mayfield wanting to move on and the Browns wanting to move on,” Rapoport wrote. “Barring a dramatic shift, it doesn’t appear either development is on the horizon.
“Mayfield and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski spoke Friday as part of normal exit meetings, and sources say the two are on the same page. The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Mayfield is entering the final year of his rookie contract — a fully guaranteed $18.858 million fifth-year option — and the expectation as of now is he’ll play it out in Cleveland.”
Rapoport also broke down why a Mayfield trade over the offseason is unlikely.
“Logistically, a trade doesn’t make a lot sense,” Rapoport wrote. “How could the Browns know they would upgrade at QB, while simultaneously trying to deal a QB in the final year of his contract who is also undergoing shoulder surgery that requires a four-month recovery? And how could Mayfield request a trade and find a team better equipped to win (Cleveland just made the playoffs last year and returns its core for 2022 with a defense that came together down the stretch), while undergoing extensive rehab for his shoulder?”
The surgery Rapoport refers to will be to repair a torn labrum, an injury Mayfield sustained early in the season and decided to push through. The shoulder ailment clearly took a toll on the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, who set career lows for a season in completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.
Mayfield’s underwhelming play was a major hindrance for the Browns, who posted an 11-5 regular-season record in 2020 and reached the divisional round of the playoffs. Cleveland enters Week 18 with a 7-9 mark, which has the team in the cellar of the AFC North.
